HOME DEPARTMENT

Police Numbers

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers and civilian staff there are (a) in total and (b) in each police force in England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: The tables show, for March 1997, March 2000, September 2000 and March 2001, total numbers of police officers and civilians for each police authority area in England and Wales, together with changes in numbers since March 1997 and March 2000.
	On 31 March 2001 total police numbers, including secondments, in England and Wales were 125,519, an increase of 1,349 or 1.1 per cent., compared with the end of March 2000. This is the largest annual increase in police numbers since 1988-89.
	Between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001 the number of civilian support staff increased by 1,361, or 2.6 per cent., to 54,588.
	In total, there were 180,107 police officers and civilian support staff compared with 180,169 in March 1997.
	The substantial investment we are putting into the police service is delivering the improvements that we promised. The increase in police numbers since March 2000 is a direct result of the extra funding available to forces via the Crime Fighting Fund since April 2000.
	
		Police strength -- Fte
		
			  Strength Change  
			 GOR/Police force 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 30 September 2000 31 March 2001 March 1997 to March 2001 (Number) March 2000 to March 2001 (Number) 
		
		
			 North East 6,597 6,749 6,820 6,859 262 110 
			 Cleveland 1,459 1,404 1,421 1,407 -52 3 
			 Durham 1,461 1,558 1,581 1,595 135 37 
			 Northumbria 3,677 3,788 3,818 3,857 180 69 
			
			 North West 17,588 17,153 17,110 17,295 -293 142 
			 Cheshire 2,046 2,011 2,000 2,002 -44 -9 
			 Cumbria 1,144 1,084 1,048 1,048 -96 -36 
			 Greater Manchester 6,922 6,795 6,767 6,909 -13 115 
			 Lancashire 3,247 3,179 3,215 3,255 8 76 
			 Merseyside 4,230 4,085 4,081 4,081 -149 -4 
			
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 11,750 11,200 11,189 11,234 -516 34 
			 Humberside 2,045 1,932 1,905 1,907 -128 -15 
			 North Yorkshire 1,338 1,283 1,293 1,305 -33 22 
			 South Yorkshire 3,159 3,163 3,184 3,197 38 34 
			 West Yorkshire 5,209 4,822 4,806 4,815 -394 -7 
			
			 East Midlands 8,436 8,206 8,350 8,427 -9 221 
			 Derbyshire 1,791 1,777 1,780 1,823 32 46 
			 Leicestershire 1,949 1,993 2,010 2,033 84 40 
			 Lincolnshire 1,196 1,115 1,162 1,202 6 87 
			 Northamptonshire 1,177 1,117 1,166 1,157 -20 40 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,323 2,204 2,232 2,212 -111 8 
			
			 West Midlands 12,290 12,151 12,324 12,429 139 279 
			 Staffordshire 2,211 2,170 2,157 2,129 -82 -41 
			 Warwickshire 926 900 912 926 0 26 
			 West Mercia 2,040 1,887 1,906 1,951 -89 64 
			 West Midlands 7,113 7,194 7,350 7,423 310 229 
			
			 Eastern 9,727 9,364 9,515 9,694 -33 330 
			 Bedfordshire 1,094 1,028 1,006 1,036 -58 8 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,302 1,237 1,266 1,296 -6 59 
			 Essex(1) 2,961 2,806 2,780 2,887 -74 81 
			 Hertfordshire(1) 1,759 1,767 1,961 1,922 163 155 
			 Norfolk 1,432 1,381 1,387 1,420 -12 39 
			 Suffolk 1,180 1,145 1,115 1,133 -47 -12 
			
			 London 27,536 26,216 25,415 25,581 1,955 -635 
			 City of London 859 732 720 703 -156 -29 
			 Metropolitan Police(1) 26,677 25,485 24,695 24,878 -1,799 -607 
			 South East 15,111 14,971 15,347 15,378 267 407 
			 Hampshire 3,452 3,419 3,435 3,435 -17 16 
			 Kent 3,260 3,204 3,239 3,319 59 115 
			 Surrey(1) 1,620 1,785 2,113 2,066 446 281 
			 Sussex 3,085 2,822 2,812 2,855 -230 33 
			 Thames Valley 3,695 3,740 3,748 3,703 8 -37 
			
			 South West 9,424 9,313 9,354 9,541 117 228 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,989 2,934 2,941 2,960 -29 26 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,865 2,841 2,873 2,934 70 93 
			 Dorset 1,284 1,306 1,299 1,354 70 48 
			 Gloucestershire 1,133 1,114 1,142 1,173 40 59 
			 Wiltshire 1,154 1,118 1,099 1,120 -34 2 
			
			 Wales 6,592 6,632 6,738 6,873 281 241 
			 Dyfed Powys 1,005 1,040 1,045 1,055 51 15 
			 Gwent 1,243 1,264 1,271 1,274 31 10 
			 North Wales 1,369 1,403 1,393 1,444 75 41 
			 South Wales 2,976 2,926 3,029 3,100 124 174 
			
			 England and Wales(2) 125,051 121,956 122,163 123,313 -1,738 1,357 
			
			 Total secondments 2,107 2,214 2,384 2,206 99 -8 
			
			 Total(3) 127,158 124,170 124,547 125,519 -1,621 1,349 
		
	
	(1) As of April 2000, the Metropolitan police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
	(2) Excluding secondments
	(3) Including secondments
	Note:
	Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals.
	
		Civilian staff (4) -- Fte
		
			  Strength Change  
			 GOR/Police force 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 30 September 2000 31 March 2001 March 1997 to March 2001 (Number) March 2000 to March 2001 (Number) 
		
		
			 North East 2,557 2,603 2,583 2,568 11 -35 
			 Cleveland 609 595 598 586 -23 -9 
			 Durham 583 590 573 566 -17 -24 
			 Northumbria 1,365 1,417 1,413 1,416 51 -1 
			
			 North West 6,267 6,994 7,007 7,066 799 72 
			 Cheshire 735 823 870 833 98 10 
			 Cumbria 451 469 505 588 137 119 
			 Greater Manchester 2,612 2,822 2,845 2,858 246 36 
			 Lancashire 1,126 1,422 1,351 1,369 243 -53 
			 Merseyside 1,343 1,458 1,437 1,418 75 -40 
			
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,762 4,922 4,923 4,939 177 17 
			 Humberside 718 840 783 808 90 -32 
			 North Yorkshire 519 492 533 591 72 99 
			 South Yorkshire 1,291 1,391 1,399 1,312 22 -79 
			 West Yorkshire 2,234 2,199 2,208 2,228 -6 29 
			
			 East Midlands 3,555 3,769 4,039 3,975 420 206 
			 Derbyshire 723 826 865 875 152 49 
			 Leicestershire 755 805 808 806 51 2 
			 Lincolnshire 521 516 554 561 40 45 
			 Northamptonshire 554 599 648 694 141 95 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,003 1,024 987 1,039 36 15 
			 West Midlands 4,819 4991 5,132 5,261 442 270 
			 Staffordshire 763 858 897 935 173 77 
			 Warwickshire 376 394 388 412 36 18 
			 West Mercia 942 1,043 1,026 1,095 153 52 
			 West Midlands 2,739 2,695 2,821 2,819 81 124 
			
			 Eastern 4,234 4,485 4,699 4,802 568 317 
			 Bedfordshire 484 490 488 491 7 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 607 503 543 614 7 111 
			 Essex(5) 1,199 1,348 1,472 1,447 248 99 
			 Hertfordshire(5) 818 890 948 935 117 45 
			 Norfolk 603 655 651 694 91 39 
			 Suffolk 522 600 592 621 99 21 
			
			 London 13,840 10,890 10,382 10,273 -3,567 -617 
			 City of London 347 285 235 233 -114 -52 
			 Metropolitan Police(5) 13,493 10,605 10,147 10,040 -3,453 -565 
			
			 South East 6,399 6,966 7,292 7,520 1,121 554 
			 Hampshire 1,316 1,443 1,467 1,482 166 39 
			 Kent 1,384 1,647 1,670 1,796 412 149 
			 Surrey(5) 727 762 865 897 170 135 
			 Sussex 1,149 1,328 1,405 1,454 305 127 
			 Thames Valley 1,825 1,786 1,890 1,891 66 105 
			
			 South West 4,122 4,512 4,581 4,715 593 203 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,438 1,436 1,437 1,452 14 16 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,159 1,343 1,391 1,453 294 110 
			 Dorset 615 686 681 682 67 -4 
			 Gloucestershire 435 484 498 506 71 22 
			 Wiltshire 475 563 574 622 147 59 
			
			 Wales 2,455 2,457 2,686 2,706 251 249 
			 Dyfed Powys 322 359 393 401 79 42 
			 Gwent 452 498 490 537 85 39 
			 North Wales 476 519 511 498 23 -21 
			 South Wales 1,206 1,081 1,293 1,270 65 189 
			
			 England and Wales(6),(7) 53,011 52,588 53,147 53,823 812 1,235 
			
			 Total secondments n/a 639 708 765 n/a 126 
			
			 Total(7),(8) 53,011 53,227 53,856 54,588 1,577 1,361 
		
	
	(4) Excluding traffic wardens
	(5) As of April 2000, the Metropolitan police force was reduced in size by a transfer of responsibility for policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex. These changes need to be borne in mind when comparing figures for these forces before and after April 2000.
	(6) Excluding secondments.
	(7) In the March 1997 figures, civilian secondments are counted within the figures for the forces from which they were seconded. The increase of 1,577 civilians between March 1997 and March 2001 take account of this.
	(8) Including secondments.
	Note:
	Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the Departmental Expenditure Limit and administration costs limit within his responsibility.

David Blunkett: Supplementary to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), which covers Request for Resources 1 (Building a safe, just and tolerant society) and Request for Resources 2 (Protecting the public by holding prisoners in decent conditions and reducing re-offending after release), will be increased by £72,762,000 from £9,714,633,000 to £9,787,395,000. The administration costs limit will be reduced by £1,391,000 from £2,599,850,000 to £2,598,459,000.
	The changes are the net effect of the following transfers: £297,000 from the Invest to Save Budget to deliver web orientated modular substance misuse training for communities and professionals; £700,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund to extend the existing chipping of goods scheme to a further three demonstrator projects; £8,900,000 from the DEL Reserve to combat organised crime involving trafficking of Class A drugs and people trafficking; £3,600,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund to purchase scanning equipment for the detection of people seeking to enter the United Kingdom illegally by clandestine means; £3,200,000 from the DEL Reserve to meet the costs of publicity for the 2001 parliamentary election; £5,000,000 to the Department for Education and Skills for the provision of education to young offenders in custody; £1,391,000 to the Department for Education and Skills for the provision of education to young offenders in custody; £1,391,000 to the Department for Education and Skills for the transfer of education services' staff and other changes to the Prisoners Learning and Skills Partnership; the reclassification of £15,656,000 receipts from the Youth Justice Board as Annually Managed Expenditure; and £46,800,000 from the DEL Reserve for non-Voted expenditure on the 2001 parliamentary election.
	The reduction of the Department's administration costs limit is the effect of the transfer of £1,391,000 to the Department for Education and Skills for the transfer of education services' staff and other changes to the Prisoners Learning and Skills partnership.
	These changes will be offset by transfers or a charge to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Deaths in Custody

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths were recorded (a) in prison, (b) in young offender establishments and (c) in other places of custody in each of the last 10 years; how many in each category were suicides; and how many deaths in custody in each of the last 10 years have resulted in disciplinary proceedings being brought against custodial officers.

Beverley Hughes: I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

Mr. Satpal Ram

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will grant permission for Mr. Satpal Ram, of HMP Wellingborough, to visit his mother in hospital each day.

Beverley Hughes: All applications for temporary release or escorted absences for prisoners to visit sick relatives are carefully and sympathetically considered. Mr. Satpal Ram--a life sentence prisoner now at Littlehey prison--has been allowed escorted visits to his mother on a number of occasions. The Governor of Littlehey will keep this under review and allow visits as appropriate.

Asylum Seekers

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the situation of asylum seekers Mr. and Mrs. Eric Moussavou, placed in the Palace Hotel, Southend on 16 May 2000 by the London Borough of Barnet; and for what reason letters from their solicitors, to his Department on 6 February and 23 May have not been replied to.

Angela Eagle: Mr. Eric Moussavou applied for asylum "in country" in May 2000 and will therefore be supported by his local authority under the Asylum Support (Interim Provisions) Regulations 1999. Local authorities providing support to asylum seekers may choose to disperse the asylum seeker under the voluntary dispersal arrangements which came into effect on 6 December 1999.
	The delay in the consideration of Mr. Moussavou's asylum application and in replying to his solicitors' letters of 6 February 2001 and 23 May 2001 are regrettable. Unfortunately, the applicant's papers were incorrectly filed. In view of the consequent delay in processing his asylum claim, arrangements will be made to invite the applicant to attend an interview at the earliest opportunity.

Departmental Responsibilities

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff from each directorate in his Department are to be transferred to other Departments as a result of the transfer of responsibilities to other Departments.

David Blunkett: holding answer 25 June 2001
	The responsibilities and numbers of staff transferred are set out in the table. Some minor adjustments to the staffing numbers may arise as a result of the final arrangements agreed between my Department and the other departments involved.
	
		
			 Number  
			 Responsibility changes From To HQ Directorate In Out 
		
		
			 Work permits Formerly Department of Education and Employment Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate 255 0 
			   
			 UK Anti-drugs Co-ordination Cabinet Office Home Office Policing and Crime Reduction Group 30 0 
			   
			 Liquor licensing Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate/Legal Adviser's Branch 0 6 
			   
			 Gambling and Horseracing Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 9 
			   
			 Planning for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 10 
			   
			 Functions relating to film and video licensing(9) Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Criminal Policy Group 0 0 
			 Fire Services Home Office Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate/Research Development and statistics Directorate 0 144 
			Fire Service College, Home Office Agency 0 188 
			   
			 Contingency/Emergency planning (except Chair of Civil Contingency Committee) Home Office Unified in Cabinet Office with Home Secretary remaining Chair of the Civil Contingencies Committee Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate 0 71 
			   
			 Byelaws Home Office Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 3 
			   
			 Electoral Law Home Office Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 6 
			   
			 Open Government, Freedom of Information, Data protection and Developing policy on National Identity cards Home Office Lord Chancellor's Department Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate/Legal Adviser's Branch 0 14 
			   
			 Channel Islands/Isle of Man, Royal and Church matters, Hereditary Peers and Lord Lieutenants Home Office Lord Chancellor's Department Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 20 
			   
			 Human Rights Home Office Lord Chancellor's Department Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 5 
			   
			 Animal Welfare Home Office Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 2 
			   
			 Sunday trading, Summer time, Easter(9) Home Office Department of Trade and Industry Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 0 
			   
			 Total285 478 
		
	
	(9) No transfer of staff as there was less than one full-time person working on these functions

Departmental Responsibilities

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the areas of responsibility that have (a) been transferred from his Department to other Departments and (b) been transferred to his Department from other Departments since 8 June.

David Blunkett: holding answer 25 June 2001
	The responsibilities and numbers of staff transferred are set out in the table. Some minor adjustments to the staffing numbers may arise as a result of the final arrangements agreed between my Department and the other Departments involved.
	
		
			 Number  
			 Responsibility changes From To  HO Directorate In Out 
		
		
			 Work permits Formerly Department of Education and Employment Home Office Immigration and Nationality Directorate 255 0 
			 UK Anti-drugs Co-ordination Cabinet Office Home Office Policing and Crime Reduction Group 30 0 
			 Liquor licensing Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate/Legal Adviser's Branch 0 6 
			 Gambling and Horseracing Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 9 
			 Planning for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 10 
			 Functions relating to film and video licensing(10) Home Office Department for Culture, Media and Sport Criminal Policy Group 0 0 
			 Fire Services Home Office Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate/Research Development and Statistics Directorate 0 144 
			Fire Service College, Home Office Agency 0 188 
			 Contingency/Emergency planning (except Chair of Civil Contingency Committee) Home Office Unified in Cabinet Office with Home Secretary remaining Chair of the Civil Contingencies Committee Fire and Emergency Planning Directorate 0 71 
			 Byelaws Home Office Department for Transport Local Government and the Regions Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 3 
			 Electoral Law Home Office Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 6 
			 Open Government, Freedom of Information, Data protection and Developing policy on National Identity cards Home Office Lord Chancellor's Department Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate/Legal Adviser's Branch 0 14 
			 Channel Islands/Isle of Man, Royal and Church matters, Hereditary Peers and Lord Lieutenants Home Office Lord Chancellor's Department Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 20 
			 Human Rights Home Office Lord Chancellor's Department Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 5 
			 Animal Welfare Home Office Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 2 
			 Sunday trading, Summer time, Easter(10) Home Office Department of Trade and Industry Constitutional and Community Policy Directorate 0 0 
			 
			 Totals285 478 
		
	
	(10) No transfer of staff as there was less than one full time person working on these functions.

Dangerous Dogs

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were brought (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully under (i) the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and (ii) the Dogs Act 1871, broken down by police authority, in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table contains the readily available information from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database.
	It shows, for 1997, 1998 and 1999, the number of defendants proceeded against and those found guilty of offences under the Dogs Act 1871 and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in England and Wales by police force area.
	Information for 2000 is not yet available.
	
		Number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for offences under the Dogs Act 1871 and Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, by police force area, England and Wales 1997
		
			  Dogs Act 1871 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991  
			 Police force area Defendants prosecuted Defendants convicted Defendants prosecuted Defendants convicted 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 19 1 1 1 
			 Bedfordshire 7 2 2 -- 
			 Cambridgeshire 4 -- 5 3 
			 Cheshire 9 -- 10 6 
			 Cleveland 6 2 9 2 
			 Cumbria 2 -- 3 1 
			 Derbyshire 14 4 2 1 
			 Devon and Cornwall 24 2 16 8 
			 Dorset 6 -- 11 6 
			 Durham 16 10 6 5 
			 Essex 29 9 22 5 
			 Gloucestershire 15 -- 3 2 
			 Greater Manchester 23 6 22 13 
			 Hampshire 14 3 34 20 
			 Hertfordshire 3 -- 1 1 
			 Humberside 5 2 2 -- 
			 Kent -- -- 1 1 
			 Lancashire 6 -- 30 14 
			 Leicestershire 9 -- 9 8 
			 Lincolnshire 25 16 2 1 
			 London, City of -- -- -- -- 
			 Merseyside 2 1 12 5 
			 Metropolitan police 24 4 80 42 
			 Norfolk -- -- 3 3 
			 Northamptonshire 2 -- 6 1 
			 Northumbria 17 3 35 10 
			 North Yorkshire 13 -- 11 4 
			 Nottinghamshire 12 -- 6 6 
			 South Yorkshire 2 1 19 8 
			 Staffordshire 4 -- 13 6 
			 Suffolk 7 1 5 2 
			 Surrey 2 1 4 3 
			 Sussex 4 2 25 12 
			 Thames Valley 10 1 15 7 
			 Warwickshire 1 -- 3 2 
			 West Mercia 13 4 14 4 
			 West Midlands 7 1 16 10 
			 West Yorkshire 33 2 14 6 
			 Wiltshire 6 5 5 3 
			 Dyfed Powys 7 -- 15 5 
			 Gwent 18 8 1 -- 
			 North Wales 58 5 1 -- 
			 South Wales 14 2 10 4 
			  
			 England and Wales 492 98 504 241 
		
	
	Source:
	Crime and Criminal Justice Unit, Home Office

DEFENCE

Defence Evaluation and Research Agency

Rosemary McKenna: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the private-public partnership for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the announcement I made in the House on 24 July 2000, Official Report, columns 778-79, about our decision to implement the Core Competence model for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) public-private partnership. Under Core Competence, around three quarters of the current DERA organisation will be turned into a company with the registered name of QinetiQ plc. For strategic reasons, the remainder, known as the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), will be retained within the Ministry of Defence to carry out functions that could not appropriately be transferred to the private sector.
	Since the announcement in July, work has focused on achieving the legal separation of DERA into the two entities: QinetiQ and Dstl. This work has included the enactment of secondary legislation as outlined in Statutory Instrument 1246/2001 (made on 28 March 2001). This instrument will result in DERA being renamed Dstl and net assets attributable to QinetiQ being removed from the Trading Fund and transferred to the new company.
	Subject to final legal drafting and contractual negotiations, I intend to vest QinetiQ plc with its assets and liabilities with effect from 1 July 2001. At that point, QinetiQ will remain a wholly Government-owned plc. Thereafter work will continue on preparation for its eventual sale.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the change of specification was that led to the decision not to publish the October 1999 report of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council on the injury potential of the L21A1 plastic baton round at the 1-metre minimum range of engagement.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the then Minister of State for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for Warley (Mr. Spellar), on 11 May 2001, Official Report, column 417W, and to paragraphs 10 and 11 of the Statement of Defence Scientific Advisory Council placed in the Library of the House on 2 April 2001.

Pensions (Politically Sensitive Cases)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason war pensions assessors were issued with guidance to discuss cases with political sensitivities with an executive case worker.

Lewis Moonie: War pension is awarded for disablement causally linked to service. The intent of the guidance issued to assessors is to explain that some contended service links are relatively straightforward but that others are more complex, requiring careful consideration and perhaps some discussion with an expert caseworker who is a particularly experienced medical adviser. It is accepted that the wording of this guidance was open to misunderstanding and it has now been amended.

Leslie John Douglas

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome was of the investigation into the shooting of Leslie John Douglas on 13 June 2000; and what actions he has taken subsequently.

Lewis Moonie: The investigation into the shooting of Leslie John Douglas is not yet complete. The Special Investigations Branch (SIB) of the Royal Military Police are, however, nearing completion of their inquiries although they still have to carry out a number of interviews and produce their final report. It is in everyone's interests that the investigations are completed and that they are thorough. The Ministry of Defence will continue to keep the Douglas family informed of developments.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's officials are employed to conduct the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down announced on 1 May; from which branches of his Department these officials are drawn; and what the total budget is for the survey.

Lewis Moonie: The historical survey is currently being undertaken by a Principal (Grade B2) working for the Gulf Veterans Illness Unit. The historical survey is financed through the Gulf Veterans Illnesses Unit and has no fixed budget.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what aspect of the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, announced on 1 May will be conducted in public.

Lewis Moonie: The historical survey of the Porton Down volunteer programme will gather information from available documentary source material and recollections from former volunteers. The survey is expected to report in the summer of 2002 and the findings will be published.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of the correspondence from the Medical Research Council confirming that the Council is looking at the feasibility of carrying out an independent epidemiological study of Porton Down volunteers.

Lewis Moonie: The Medical Research Council has agreed that an epidemiological study of Porton Down Veterans is feasible. Confirmation of this can be found in the advertisements placed by the Medical Research Council in the scientific press on 21 and 23 June 2001, inviting expressions of interest from the research community.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, have been referred to the Medical Assessment Programme since 21 November 2000; and how many of these have been seen by the Medical Assessment Programme.

Lewis Moonie: During the period 21 November 2000 to 27 June 2001, 78 former Porton Down volunteers have been referred to the Medical Assessment Programme. Of this number, 49 have been seen.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates officials from his Department and the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, held meetings with the Medical Research Council since 5 April, regarding its advice on an independent epidemiological study for Porton Down volunteers.

Lewis Moonie: A working meeting took place on 30 May 2001 between one member of Ministry of Defence staff and one member of the Medical Research Council staff at which practical details relating to an independent epidemiological study of Porton Down Volunteers were discussed.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Northern Ireland

Tony McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he hopes to make available the annual report for 2000-01 of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

John Reid: Copies of the Chief Constable's annual report for 2000-01 will be placed in the Library tomorrow. It is a general report on the carrying out by the RUC of their functions during 2000-01 financial year which is submitted to the Police Authority for Northern Ireland and also to me for laying before Parliament in accordance with sections 48 and 49 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Teachers (Essex)

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers were employed in (a) Essex and (b) the Boroughs of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea in each year from 1995 to 2000 inclusive.

Stephen Timms: The full-time equivalents of regular teachers (excluding short-term supply) employed in the maintained schools sector were as follows:
	
		
			 January Essex Thurrock Southend- on-Sea Total 
		
		
			 1995(11) n/a n/a n/a 11,850 
			 1996(11) n/a n/a n/a 12,430 
			 1997(11) n/a n/a n/a 12,580 
			 1998(11) n/a n/a n/a 12,560 
			 1999 10,580 1,060 1,270 12,910 
			 2000 10,400 1,110 1,380 12,890 
		
	
	(11) Essex local authority was affected by local government re-organisation (LGR) on 1 April 1998, when it became three authorities; Essex, Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea. Figures for 1995 to 1998 are for the Essex local authority prior to LGR.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Finsbury Park Single Regeneration Budget

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what is the total allocation of funds for the Finsbury Park Single Regeneration Budget for its lifetime; and how much has been spent to date.

Sally Keeble: The Finsbury Park Single Regeneration Budget scheme was approved on 1 December 1999. Total Government expenditure over the seven year life of the scheme is estimated at £25 million. The projected Government expenditure for the financial year 2001-02 is £4,986,000. Government expenditure on this scheme to the end of 2000-01 was £2,846,000.

Social Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what studies his Department is undertaking as to the accountability of registered social landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: None. Registered social landlords are regulated by the Housing Corporation, an Executive NDPB of my Department, through published performance standards covering governance, finance, lettings, tenant involvement, development and management. Registered social landlords are expected to meet these standards. Where they do not, the Housing Corporation has regulatory powers to enforce compliance.
	The Housing Corporation is currently implementing a programme of changes to revise its regulatory framework for registered social landlords. Through this programme, the Housing Corporation is reviewing performance standards, encouraging a best value approach by registered social landlords and introducing a new inspection service to examine the services landlords provide. The new framework will be in place by April 2002.
	Registered social landlords are also accountable to their governing bodies, whose members act on a voluntary basis and who are drawn from a broad range of backgrounds. For example, the governing bodies of those registered social landlords which are set up as local housing companies (the most popular choice in recent years of registered social landlord for large scale voluntary transfers of properties from local councils) comprise at least a third of elected tenant representatives, with council nominees and independent members typically each having a third of places also.

Social Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the expenditure from central Government sources was on (a) repairs to council properties and (b) capital improvements to council properties in each of the last five years and for the current year.

Sally Keeble: Information is not available in the form requested. The table shows actual expenditure, as reported to the Department, by local authorities in England on repairs and capital improvements to their housing stock in each of the last five years. Support for local authority housing from central Government has not generally been earmarked for particular purposes, so it is not possible to show separately the central Government contribution to this expenditure. Spending over this period has been affected by a fall in the number of local authority dwellings so the table also shows spending in per dwelling terms. Expenditure figures for 2001-02 are not available.
	
		
			 Year Local authority housing revenue account spending on repairs (£ million) Local authority capital expenditure on council dwellings (£ million) Repairs expenditure per dwelling (£) Capital expenditure per dwelling (£) 
		
		
			 1996-97 2,262 1,581 657 459 
			 1997-98 2,211 1,502 657 446 
			 1998-99 2,201 1,594 677 490 
			 1999-2000 2,126 1,484 686 479 
			 2000-01(12) 2,113 (13)1,824 726 627 
		
	
	(12) Provisional
	(13) Based on authorities planned expenditure for 2000-01, submitted to the Department in summer 2000

Social Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local government and the Regions how many (a) dwellings were completed, (b) new council properties there were, (c) new housing association properties there were and (d) new co-operative properties there were in each London borough for each of the last five years.

Sally Keeble: The available figures are given in the table. The data collected by the Department do not distinguish completions for co-operative properties.
	
		Housebuilding: Permanent dwellings completed by tenure
		
			 London borough/ Year Private enterprise Registered social landlords Local authority All dwellings 
		
		
			  Barking and Dagenham 
			 1996-97 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1997-98 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 2000-01 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			  
			 Barnet 
			 1996-97 436 79 0 515 
			 1997-98 459 178 0 637 
			 1998-99 629 74 0 703 
			 1999-2000 720 98 0 818 
			 2000-01 488 168 0 656 
			  
			 Bexley 
			 1996-97 387 63 0 450 
			 1997-98 405 48 0 453 
			 1998-99 189 19 0 208 
			 1999-2000 179 27 0 206 
			 2000-01 384 98 0 482 
			 Brent 
			 1996-97 56 0 0 56 
			 1997-98 29 1 0 30 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 2000-01 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			  
			 Bromley 
			 1996-97 307 137 0 444 
			 1997-98 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 2000-01 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			  
			 Camden 
			 1996-97 238 279 0 517 
			 1997-98 99 138 0 237 
			 1998-99 366 85 0 451 
			 1999-2000 157 166 0 323 
			 2000-01 149 256 0 405 
			  
			 City of London 
			 1996-97 0 0 0 0 
			 1997-98 235 0 0 235 
			 1998-99 163 0 0 163 
			 1999-2000 280 21 0 301 
			 2000-01 165 0 0 165 
			  
			 Croydon 
			 1996-97 256 200 0 456 
			 1997-98 213 362 0 575 
			 1998-99 161 221 0 382 
			 1999-2000 138 194 0 332 
			 2000-01 165 77 0 242 
			 Ealing 
			 1996-97 263 0 0 263 
			 1997-98 761 12 0 773 
			 1998-99 331 125 0 456 
			 1999-2000 148 125 0 273 
			 2000-01 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			  
			 Enfield 
			 1996-97 324 258 0 582 
			 1997-98 549 51 0 600 
			 1998-99 172 139 0 311 
			 1999-2000 105 84 0 189 
			 2000-01 576 344 0 920 
			  
			 Greenwich 
			 1996-97 156 69 0 225 
			 1997-98 205 226 0 431 
			 1998-99 403 133 0 536 
			 1999-2000 916 64 0 980 
			 2000-01 439 147 0 586 
			  
			 Hackney 
			 1996-97 64 406 22 492 
			 1997-98 157 517 34 708 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000 349 91 0 440 
			 2000-01 765 112 0 877 
			  
			  Hammersmith and Fulham   
			 1996-97 29 14 0 43 
			 1997-98 146 74 0 220 
			 1998-99 122 22 0 144 
			 1999-2000 83 23 0 106 
			 2000-01 75 0 0 75 
			  
			 Haringey 
			 1996-97 52 199 0 251 
			 1997-98 68 131 0 199 
			 1998-99 25 63 0 88 
			 1999-2000(15) 34 75 0 109 
			 2000-01 126 59 0 185 
			  
			 Harrow 
			 1996-97 49 83 0 132 
			 1997-98 119 66 0 185 
			 1998-99 146 5 0 151 
			 1999-2000 94 3 0 97 
			 2000-01 110 0 0 110 
			  
			 Havering 
			 1996-97 234 65 0 299 
			 1997-98 99 39 0 138 
			 1998-99 225 25 0 250 
			 1999-2000 237 47 0 284 
			 2000-01 246 28 0 274 
			  
			 Hillingdon 
			 1996-97 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1997-98 97 293 2 392 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000(16) 322 137 0 459 
			 2000-01(16) 270 286 0 556 
			  
			 Hounslow 
			 1996-97 598 0 0 598 
			 1997-98 373 38 0 411 
			 1998-99 611 21 0 632 
			 1999-2000 260 0 0 260 
			 2000-01 240 24 0 264 
			  
			 Islington 
			 1996-97 49 17 0 66 
			 1997-98 151 0 0 151 
			 1998-99 309 65 0 374 
			 1999-2000 424 27 0 451 
			 2000-01(16) 213 44 0 257 
			  Kensington and Chelsea   
			 1996-97 206 255 0 461 
			 1997-98 184 0 0 184 
			 1998-99 155 41 0 196 
			 1999-2000(16) 208 20 0 228 
			 2000-01 101 55 0 156 
			  
			  Kingston upon Thames   
			 1996-97 169 87 0 256 
			 1997-98 816 22 0 838 
			 1998-99 444 2 0 446 
			 1999-2000 331 45 0 376 
			 2000-01(16) 230 41 0 271 
			  
			 Lambeth 
			 1996-97 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1997-98 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 2000-01 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			  
			 Lewisham 
			 1996-97 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1997-98 108 345 0 453 
			 1998-99 193 167 0 360 
			 1999-2000 156 95 0 251 
			 2000-01 1 150 0 151 
			  
			 Merton 
			 1996-97 204 133 0 337 
			 1997-98 69 39 0 108 
			 1998-99 108 129 0 237 
			 1999-2000 204 149 0 353 
			 2000-01 120 51 0 171 
			  
			 Newham 
			 1996-97 105 296 0 401 
			 1997-98 261 103 0 364 
			 1998-99 132 180 0 312 
			 1999-2000 398 120 0 518 
			 2000-01 346 138 0 484 
			  
			 Redbridge 
			 1996-97 458 50 0 508 
			 1997-98 360 22 0 382 
			 1998-99 95 5 0 100 
			 1999-2000 462 39 0 501 
			 2000-01 120 39 0 159 
			  
			  Richmond upon Thames   
			 1996-97 48 23 0 71 
			 1997-98 195 6 0 201 
			 1998-99 617 8 0 625 
			 1999-2000 145 30 0 175 
			 2000-01 137 20 0 157 
			  
			 Southwark 
			 1996-97 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1997-98 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000 323 13 0 336 
			 2000-01(15) 248 26 0 274 
			  
			 Sutton 
			 1996-97 479 215 0 694 
			 1997-98 306 32 0 338 
			 1998-99 283 19 0 302 
			 1999-2000 135 122 0 257 
			 2000-01 280 161 0 441 
			  
			 Tower Hamlets 
			 1996-97 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1997-98 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1998-99 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 1999-2000 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 2000-01 (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- (14)-- 
			 Waltham Forest 
			 1996-97 370 439 0 809 
			 1997-98 103 743 0 846 
			 1998-99 259 716 0 975 
			 1999-2000 10 186 0 196 
			 2000-01 216 257 260 733 
			  
			 Wandsworth 
			 1996-97 320 1 0 321 
			 1997-98 231 33 0 264 
			 1998-99 515 36 0 551 
			 1999-2000 541 76 0 617 
			 2000-01 209 3 0 212 
			  
			 Westminster 
			 1996-97 513 394 0 907 
			 1997-98 560 111 0 671 
			 1998-99 631 113 0 744 
			 1999-2000 600 207 0 807 
			 2000-01(16) 957 358 0 1,315 
		
	
	(14) Data not available because the local authority has reported for nine months or less in the year
	(15) Local authority has reported for only 10 months in the year
	(16) Local authority has reported for only 11 months in the year

Planning Controls (Fast-food Restaurants)

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent representations he has received on the question of planning controls on the conversion of public houses to fast food restaurants.

Sally Keeble: In the last 12 months, my Department has received centrally three letters from Members of Parliament and eight letters from members of the public about planning controls on the conversion of public houses to fast food restaurants and takeaways.

Nutts Farm Caravan Site

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will conduct an inquiry into the sale of Nutts Farm caravan site by Swale borough council; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: It is for the local authority to decide whether and to whom to dispose of their land. Authorities should normally dispose of property for the best obtainable consideration, which is normally its market value. If a local authority wishes to accept a bid for less than the best consideration, they must obtain the consent of the Secretary of State either through a general consent or a specific consent.
	I understand that Swale borough council took the decision to sell the caravan site as the result of a best value review. Under best value the authority is required to consult local people, businesses and voluntary organisations. It is, however, for the local authority to decide exactly whom to consult and how to carry out such consultations. Moreover, it will be the responsibility of elected members to weigh the different points of view revealed by consultation exercises.
	If local people believe that consultations were not carried out properly, they can make representations to the auditor, who audits the best value performance plan, or the Best Value Inspection Service, which carries out inspections of the services provided by the authority.

Community Transport Schemes

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial support his Department has given in the current financial year to community transport schemes.

Sally Keeble: My Department supports the community transport sector through funding the Community Transport Association's Information and Advice Service. That Service, which will receive £100,000 in funding this financial year, provides support and advice to community transport schemes and local authorities across the country.
	In direct support for community transport schemes, the local transport capital settlement for 2001-02 provided £559 million (including reserves) of capital funding for local authorities in England, outside London, for use on small scale integrated transport measures. Authorities have discretion in the expenditure of such resources that may be used as capital support for community transport schemes in line with the priorities established within their local transport plans.
	We have also made available £10 million in the current financial year for those and other transport projects in rural areas through the Rural Transport Partnership and the Parish Transport Grant schemes administered by the Countryside Agency.
	Awards to be made later this year to bids successful in this year's Rural and Urban Bus Challenge schemes will also include significant new financial support for community transport services. This will be in addition to support already being given as a result of earlier rounds of the Rural Bus Challenge. Many of the existing 150 challenge awards involve community transport provision.
	My Department has already consulted relevant organisations on plans to extend eligibility for fuel duty rebate to a wider range of community transport services, which will be implemented in this financial year.

Rural Housing

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent initiatives have been taken in order to provide affordable housing in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: Our proposals for increasing the supply of affordable housing in rural areas are set out in Chapter 5 of "Our countryside: the future--A fair deal for rural England", a White Paper (Cm 4909) published in November 2000. In summary, they are: doubling funding for the Housing Corporation between 2000 and 2003 to benefit both rural and urban areas; doubling the size of the Housing Corporation's programme in small rural settlements from 800 to 1,600 homes per year; local authorities to be able to charge the full rate of council tax on second homes and retain the extra revenue (subject to consultation); and a package of VAT reforms to encourage additional conversions of properties for residential use.
	We have also reminded local authorities of existing powers to limit the resale of council homes, bought under the Right to Buy scheme, to local people. This can be done in rural areas that meet certain criteria.
	Details of all these measures are set out more fully in the Rural White Paper.

Aviation Policy

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish the results of his consultation on aviation policy.

John Spellar: We plan to publish a summary of the responses to the consultation document, "The Future of Aviation", later this summer. We will give careful consideration to the responses and take them into account in deciding policies for the new air transport White Paper, which we hope to publish next year. All responses (except those from respondents who requested confidentiality) can be viewed by the public, in the Department's Library.

Speed Limits

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans the Government have to introduce a mandatory 20 mph zone in areas close to schools.

Sally Keeble: The Government have given local authorities the power to introduce 20 mph zones. Our Road Safety Strategy encourages their use in the areas where the most vulnerable are present, like the areas around schools.

Housing

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of council housing stock in Stockton, South has been sold since 1979.

Sally Keeble: In the period 1 April 1979 to 31 December 2000, Stockton-on-Tees unitary authority (and the predecessor borough council) reported 6,875 sales of council housing stock. This represents some 32 per cent. of the council's reported stock in April 1979.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

National Lottery

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the amount of National Lottery money (a) raised for good causes, (b) allocated to good causes and (c) received by good causes in each of the last four years.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 25 June 2001
	The net proceeds of the National Lottery are paid into the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF). After meeting the costs of the National Lottery Commission (the Lottery regulator), the costs incurred in exercising my duties under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 (as amended), and the costs incurred by the National Debt Commissioners in investing the balance of the NLDF, all of the money in the NLDF is immediately allocated to good causes. The amount raised for good causes is therefore equal to the amount allocated to good causes. These figures are shown in rows (a) and (b) of the table. The money raised for good causes is distributed by the 15 bodies listed in section 23 of the Act. These bodies draw down money as needed and the amounts drawn down are shown in row (c)
	
		£ million
		
			  2000-01 1999-2000 1998-99 1997-98 
		
		
			 (a) Amount raised for good causes 1,789 1,752 1,939 1,974 
			 (b) Amount allocated to good causes 1,789 1,752 1939 1,974 
			 (c) Amount received by good causes 1,855 1,908 1,831 1,087

National Lottery

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to review the process of awarding the contract to operate the National Lottery.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 25 June 2001
	I remain committed to reviewing the process by which the National Lottery operating licence is awarded to see if there is scope for improving the present system. I will be making a further announcement about the review in due course.

Wembley Stadium

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she will take in the event of the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium not proceeding to recover public funds invested in the project.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 25 June 2001
	Under the terms of the lottery funding agreement, Sport England are able to initiate action to recover the lottery grant committed to the Wembley project, should Wembley National Stadium Ltd. be unable to develop a new stadium at Wembley.

Religious Broadcasting

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will ensure that religious organisations are given the opportunity to obtain local digital radio broadcasting licences.

Kim Howells: The White Paper "A New Future for Communications" announced that the Government will bring forward legislation to allow religious bodies to hold a local terrestrial digital licence.

Religious Broadcasting

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the compatibility of the Broadcasting Act 1996 with the freedom of expression provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Kim Howells: The courts decide whether legislative provisions are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. No declaration of incompatibility has been made in the domestic courts under the Human Rights Act 1998 as regards any provision of the Broadcasting Act 1996; nor has there been any finding of incompatibility in respect of that legislation by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Religious Broadcasting

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if non-religious radio stations can automatically renew analogue licences by applying for digital licences.

Kim Howells: An application is not sufficient. There is provision for automatic renewal of analogue radio licences only if the licence holder is providing (or is committed to provide) a programme service on a relevant digital multiplex. Religious organisations are disqualified from holding digital radio licences and so cannot take advantage of these provisions.

Religious Broadcasting

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when applications for the last digital radio licence in London will be determined.

Kim Howells: The award of the third and final digital multiplex licence for Greater London was made by the Radio Authority on 6 June.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

Public Accounts Commission

Andrew Love: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission who will be answering questions on behalf of the Public Accounts Commission.

Alan Williams: I was elected Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission at its meeting on 26 June and will normally expect to answer questions on behalf of the Commission. In the event of my unavoidable absence, questions will be answered by my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell).

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Departmental Secondees

Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the name, company, grade, directorate, start and end dates and brief description of responsibilities for each person presently seconded into her Department from the private sector.

Patricia Hewitt: There are 104 individuals currently on secondment to the Department. The details requested are given in the table, which has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Antarctica

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's expenditure was on Antarctica in each of the past five years.

Brian Wilson: The expenditure by the Department of Trade and Industry through the Science Budget on the British Antarctic Survey is given in the table.
	
		£000
		
			  Science budget expenditure 
		
		
			 1996-97 26,823 
			 1997-98 26,550 
			 1998-99 26,523 
			 1999-2000 29,892 
			 2000-01 39,556

Deregulation

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister within her Department has responsibility for deregulation; and if she will list deregulation measures enacted since May 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 25 June 2001
	Ensuring that regulation is effective and not burdensome is a key issue for business, and therefore for my Department. We will be working closely with the Cabinet Office and the Better Regulation Task Force to ensure that business concerns are understood and that my Department regulates only where necessary and with a light touch. The Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, my hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, South (Nigel Griffiths), will have specific responsibility for regulatory reform within my Department.
	Key measures enacted since May 1997 for which this Department is responsible which have resulted in cost savings for business are as follows:
	The Companies Act 1985 (Audit Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2000 raised to £1 million the turnover threshold before companies are subject to an annual external statutory audit of their accounts.
	The Companies Act 1985 (Electronic Communications) Order 2000 removed restrictions on companies' use of electronic media when communicating with their members and with Companies House.
	The Wireless Telegraphy (Short Range Devices) (Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 1997 removed certain radio equipment from licensing requirements.
	The Hallmarking (Hallmarking Act Amendment) Order 1998 extended the category of articles exempted from hallmarking requirements to articles produced before 1920, rather than 1900.
	The Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations 1999 exempted certain radio equipment from licensing requirements.
	The Consumer Credit (Exempt Agreements) (Amendment) Order 1999 exempted credit unions and other non-commercial fixed-rate low-cost loan providers from regulation.
	The Companies (Forms) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 removed the requirement to include certain information in companies' returns to Companies House, including former names and directors' other directorships.
	The Gas Act 1986 (Gas Storage) (Exemptions) Order 1999 and two subsidiary Orders exempted persons operating certain types of gas storage facility from the need to have a Public Gas Transporter licence.
	The Companies (Investment Companies) (Distribution of Profits) Regulations 1999 removed restrictions on companies which prevented them from using capital profits to repurchase their own shares.
	The Consumer Credit (Content of Quotations) and Consumer Credit (Advertisements) (Amendments) Regulations 1999 removed the requirement for warning statements to be included in TV, cinema, and radio advertisements for credit involving taking on a mortgage.
	The Partnerships (Unrestricted Size) No. 14 Regulations exempted Chartered Surveyors from the law restricting the number of partners in a given firm to 20.
	The Insolvency (Amendment) Regulations 2000 enabled members of the Insolvency Services Account to pay and receive moneys by electronic transfer.
	The Wireless Telegraphy (Citizens Band Amateur Apparatus) (Various Provisions) (Amendment) Order 2000 removed all restrictions on the import and manufacture of citizens' band radio equipment.
	The Electricity (Class Exemptions from the Requirement for a License) (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2000 allowed more owners of small power stations to generate electricity without needing a licence.
	The Merger (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 exempt small and medium-sized firms engaged in merger activity from the requirement to pay a fee where the merger falls to be scrutinised by the Office of Fair Trading.

Competition Law

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of the review of UK competition policy conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers was; and what her Department's response is to the policy recommendations made.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 June 2001
	PriceWaterhouseCoopers were selected to undertake the Peer Review of the UK Competition Policy Regime after a competitive tender was held in accordance with the DTI's procurement rules. The cost of the contract was £70,000 (excl. VAT).
	The Peer Review Report is published on the DTI website and will inform decisions made in the context of the Enterprise Bill. I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

Competition Law

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the cases since May 1997 (a) where her predecessors referred mergers to the Competition Commission (i) on the advice of and (ii) against the advice of the Director General of the Office of Fair Trading and (b) where Ministers have not followed merger recommendations by the Competition Commission.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 June 2001
	Table 1 lists all the merger cases which have been referred to the Competition Commission (previously known as the Monopolies and Mergers Commission) since May 1997. The Director General of Fair Trading (DGFT) does not advise on newspaper mergers. With the exception of NEG/ScotRail, NEG/Central Trains, Pacificorp/Energy Group, and NTL/CWC, all other references were made in accordance with the advice of the DGFT.
	Table 2 lists the cases since May 1997 where Ministers have not followed merger recommendations by the Competition Commission/Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Merger referred Date referred 
		
		
			 National Express Group/Central Trains May 1997 
			 National Express Group/ScotRail May 1997 
			 Priory Hospitals/Charter June 1997 
			 Capital Radio/Virgin Radio July 1997 
			 Mirror Group/Midland Independent Newspapers July 1997 
			 Pacificorp/Energy Group August 1997 
			 Fresenius/Caremark December 1997 
			 Johnston Press/Home Counties Newspapers Holdings February 1998 
			 Ladbroke/Corals March 1998 
			 Tomkins/Kerry Group April 1998 
			 New Decaux/More Group May 1998 
			 Arriva/Lutonian Buses July 1998 
			 Cendant/RAC Motoring Services September 1998 
			 IMS Health/PMSI October 1998 
			 BSkyB/Manchester United October 1998 
			 Rockwool/Owens Corning December 1998 
			 British Airways/CityFlyer Express January 1999 
			 Johnston Press/Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers February 1999 
			 News Communications and Media/Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers February 1999 
			 Newsquest/Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers February 1999 
			 Air Products/DeVilbiss Medequip February 1999 
			 Hepworth/Naylor Industries March 1999 
			 Trinity/Mirror Group March 1999 
			 Regional Independent Media Holdings/Mirror Group March 1999 
			 NTL/Newcastle United April 1999 
			 Whitbread/Allied Domecq July 1999 
			 Alanod Aluminium/Metalloxyd July 1999 
			 Universal Foods/Pointing Holdings August 1999 
			 CHC Helicopter Corporation/Helicopter Services Group September 1999 
			 NTL/CWC November 1999 
			 Vivendi/BSkyB November 1999 
			 Newsquest/News Communications and Media December 1999 
			 Johnston Press/News Communications and Media December 1999 
			 Trinity Mirror/News Communications and Media December 1999 
			 Carlton/United News and Media February 2000 
			 Granada/Carlton Communications February 2000 
			 Granada/United News and Media February 2000 
			 Independent News and Media/Belfast Telegraph March 2000 
			 Air Canada/Canadian Airlines May 2000 
			 Sylvan International/Locker Group June 2000 
			 BUPA/Community Hospitals Group June 2000 
			 Nutreco/Hydro Seafood July 2000 
			 Gannett UK/Regional Independent Media Holdings July 2000 
			 Johnston Press/Regional Independent Media Holdings July 2000 
			 Guardian Media Group/Regional Independent Media Holdings July 2000 
			 Interbrew/Bass September 2000 
			 Grundfos Holdings/Myson Pumps October 2000 
			 CAIK Holding/Icopal AS November 2000 
			 Adtranz/Railcare November 2000 
			 City Technology/Marconi Applied Technologies December 2000 
			 BASF/Takeda Chemicals December 2000 
			 SCR Sibelco/assets of Anglo Pacific January 2001 
			 Lloyds TSB/Abbey National February 2001 
			 Reed Elsevier/Harcourt February 2001 
			 General Healthcare Group/Community Hospitals Group March 2001 
			 Octagon Motorsports/assets of British Racing Drivers Club April 2001 
			 Blockbuster/Apollo Video May 2001 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			 Merger report Date report published 
		
		
			 Bass/Carlsberg Tetley June 1997 
			 British Airways/CityFlyer Express July 1999 
			 Trinity/Mirror Group July 1999 
			 Sylvan International/Locker Group November 2000

Competition Law

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to introduce criminal sanctions for breaches of competition law.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 June 2001
	We have announced our intention to consult on proposals that there should be a new criminal offence for individuals who engage in cartels. These proposals will be published in July.

Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council

Ivan Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council on 30 and 31 May.

Melanie Johnson: The Deputy Permanent Representative Bill Stow represented the UK at the Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council ("IMCT") in Brussels on 30 and 31 May.
	The Council reached agreement on Directives on Fair Value Accounting, Life Assurance and Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins.
	The proposed amendment to the Cosmetics Directive was referred back for further negotiation in the light of numerous remaining reserves. On the Distance Marketing of Financial Services Directive, which sets out minimum standards for information to be provided by financial services providers, it was not possible to reach a qualified majority. On the proposed Directive on Food Supplements (vitamins and minerals) which aims to harmonise rules on their authorisation, marketing and labelling, there was also no agreement as there was no qualified majority.
	Agreement was reached on a Common Approach to the key issues on the Community Patent. This defines the principles under which work can be taken forward. The Presidency is now able to ask the European Patent Organisation to prepare for a diplomatic conference to revise the European Patent Convention.
	There was general support for a common approach on Food Law and the establishment of the European Food Authority, which would guide future work with a view to possible political agreement in June.
	The Commission gave an update on its plans to review the Consumer Credit Directive and agreement was reached on a progress report on two draft Directives covering solvency margins for life assurance and non-life assurance undertakings. These aim to enhance the protection of policyholders by strengthening solvency margin requirements. The Council took note of a progress report on negotiation of the draft public procurement directives. The Presidency concluded that the Council remained committed to reaching agreement by the end of the year.
	The draft report on the Integration of Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development into Internal Market Policy for the European Council was adopted without discussion and the Draft Council Conclusions on the Commission's 2001 review of the Internal Market Strategy were approved. The draft Council Resolution on a strategy for the Customs Union, which is intended to improve standards of customs services throughout the EU, taking account of changes such as enlargement, e-commerce and customs related fraud, was adopted without discussion. The draft Council Resolution on eEurope: Information and Network Security was agreed with minimal discussion.
	There was a Presidency report of the discussions held at the informal Ministerial in Lund which dealt with key items of consumer interest in the Internal Market and the Commission commented on the debate on the General Regulatory Framework on Good Market Behaviour or "Duty to Trade Fairly".
	There was an exchange of information on the state of play of preparations for preparing consumers for the introduction of euro notes and coins. Belgium and Spain outlined priorities for their Presidencies (the Joint Work Programme) and the Commission presented its latest version of the Single Market Scoreboard, which records member states' performance in transposing Single Market Directives.
	Over lunch on 31 May, the Council discussed joint action on the single market between EU and Russia, the Community Design Regulation and International Exhaustion of Trademarks (Parallel Trade).

Flexible Working Hours

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the terms of reference are for the taskforce that is to consider how to give parents of young children a right to make a request to work flexible hours.

Patricia Hewitt: The Work and Parents Taskforce will look at how to meet parents' desire for more flexible work patterns in a way which is compatible with business efficiency. It will look at how best to encourage and enable employers to create additional opportunities for parents of young children to work flexibly, for the benefit of employers, employees and their children.
	The Taskforce will:
	building on best practice, design a light-touch legislative approach to giving parents of young children a right to make a request to work flexible hours and to have this request considered seriously by the employer;
	take fully into account the particular needs of small employers in designing such a solution, including whether they should be subject to special conditions;
	integrate existing best practice and the reasonable operational needs of business;
	put the emphasis on resolving requests within the business rather than through applications to employment tribunals;
	consider whether other changes to the law are needed to remove any legal or institutional impediments to flexible working;
	consider what further support would help employers and employees to make and consider cases for flexible working; and
	consider whether extra help with the training and development of people working flexibly is needed.
	The Taskforce will report in November 2001. It will be chaired by Professor Sir George Bain. Other members of the Work and Parents Taskforce will be:
	
		
			 Members  
		
		
			 Fiona Cannon Equal Opportunities Commission 
			 Kay Carberry Trades Union Congress 
			 John Cridland Confederation of British Industry 
			 Martin Gayle Martin Gayle at Aveda 
			 Mike Griffin King's College Hospital Trust 
			 Anne Minto OBE Smiths Industries 
			 Sue Monk Parents at Work, Chief Executive 
			 Maureen Rooney Trades Union Congress 
			 Simon Topman J. E. Hudson & Co. (ACME Whistles)

British Trade International

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes will be made to the resource departmental expenditure limit of British Trade International.

Patricia Hewitt: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the voted element of the Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit for British Trade International will be increased by £2,000,000, from £84,634,000 to £86,643,000.
	This increase, which will be made to the net provision of British Trade International, will be offset by a transfer of £2,000,000 in resources from the Department of Trade and Industry to fund the Enterprise Scholarships and Entrepreneurs Pilot programmes.

Gas Processing Industry

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to provide advice to owners of onshore gas processing infrastructure in relation to their statutory obligations to publish their main commercial conditions for access to infrastructure.

Brian Wilson: The Department has today issued guidance to owners of onshore gas processing facilities and relevant pipelines to assist them in meeting their obligations under the Gas Act 1995 and the Pipelines Act 1962 to publish their main commercial conditions for access.
	We have also published today the first element of the departmental response to its consultation on "Oil and Gas Infrastructure: Access Provisions and Voluntary Arrangements"; this response relates to the content of the guidance on main commercial conditions.
	Copies of both documents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes will be made to the departmental expenditure limit and administration costs limit for her Department.

Patricia Hewitt: Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Departmental Expenditure Limit for the Department of Trade and Industry will be increased by £62,805,000, to £4,549,049,000 from £4,486,244,000. In addition the gross running costs limit will be reduced by £69,000, from £412,007,000 to £411,938,000.
	These changes result from:
	(i) the take up of £1,700,000 from the Capital Modernisation Fund for projects to develop Novel Recycling Techniques and to establish a UK Oil Portal;
	(ii) the transfer of £2,000,000 in resources to British Trade International for the administration of enterprise scholarships and pilot programmes for entrepreneurs;
	(iii) the transfer of £105,000 in administration costs from the Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs to the Small Business Service for the administration of the Farm Business Advice Service;
	(iv) a receipt from the Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs of £14,150,000 in programme expenditure for the delivery by the Small Business Service (SBS) of the Farm Business Advice Service, which will offset an equivalent increase in the gross expenditure provision;
	(v) the transfer of £350,000 from programme to administration costs in respect of implementation of the Postal Services Act 2000;
	(vi) the reclassification from administration costs to programme of the provision of £524,000 from the Invest to Save budget for the development of a video link between a Court and an Official Receiver's Office, and of debt advice pilots;
	(vii) the take up of £31,500,000 from the unused balance of the Department's end-year flexibility entitlement from 1999-2000, as set out in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper (Cm 4812) for the Rolls Royce Trent 600 and 900 projects;
	(viii) the provision of £31,500,000 from the Reserve for the Rolls Royce Trent 600 and 900 projects.
	All of the above increases will either be offset by transfers or charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Energy and Industry Council

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the outcome of the Energy and Industry Council on 14 and 15 May.

Brian Wilson: The council considered several matters of interest to the United Kingdom.
	An exchange of views and adoption of Council conclusions on the Green Paper: Towards a European Strategy for the Security of Energy Supply, and a policy debate on the internal market in electricity and gas formed the centre-piece of this energy council.
	On security of supply, the discussion was structured around a series of questions set by the Presidency: the need for a more co-ordinated approach; Community level measures that could be envisaged; the contribution of demand side measures and the development of new technologies; and the need to reinforce the dialogue with supplier countries. The UK welcomed the Green Paper as a good basis for debate, and said that market liberalisation was essential to the improvement of security of supply within the European Union and that a single market would provide the necessary investment signals. As far as indigenous resources were concerned the UK said it would continue to ensure that the North Sea was fully exploited. The UK supported measures to provide more effective control of demand, particularly in the areas of energy efficiency and fuel efficiency and in this respect we welcomed the proposed directive on energy performance in buildings. In response to the discussion on use of fiscal measures, the UK recalled that the reference to fiscal instruments in the Green Paper did not alter the requirement for unanimity in fiscal matters. Furthermore, the UK did not see any need for tax harmonisation measures in this area. Dialogue with supplier countries was important but the focus should not be exclusively on Russia. The aim should be to encourage a sound investment climate in supplier countries and avoid creating the impression that the EU was in a weak position by implying that we were desperate for fuel supplies. The conclusions were adopted.
	On the discussion on the internal market, the UK welcomed both the draft Directive to accelerate the completion of the internal market in electricity and gas, and the draft Regulation on cross-border electricity trading, which should be treated as a single package. On the draft directive the UK stressed the need for legal separation of transmission and distribution operations, regulated third party access, independent regulation and 100 per cent. market opening as soon as possible. We supported the Netherlands' idea of a workshop to move council discussion forward quickly. We also urged the Commission to continue its work on cross-border tariffication and congestion management but at the same time indicated the need to consider carefully the scope of the proposed Regulation. We said that public service obligations were best met within an efficiently functioning competitive market, as the final version of the DTI study of the UK's experience (copies of which were distributed) demonstrates. We supported the general agreement that the Florence and Madrid processes were useful and that they should continue but within a more formal legal structure. The UK also supported the widespread agreement that Trans-European Energy Networks (TENS) should be exploited further to help solve potential network problems.
	In addition, the council resolution on a strategy for integrating environmental aspects and sustainable development into energy policy was adopted without discussion. The council also noted Commission presentations on a new proposal for a Directive on energy performance of buildings, enhancing Euro-Mediterranean Co-operation, the Northern Dimension: Energy Sector, and the Energy Charter Treaty.
	On industry, the council held a debate on the proposed modernisation of the application of the treaty's competition provisions. There was good support for the principle of the reforms, although some caution over legal certainty of the role of competition authorities. There was general support for measures on structural remedies and, for allowing the Commission to accept commitments. Structural remedies allow authorities to remove the underlying incentive for companies to breach competition law, while the proposed regulation contains provisions which would make legally enforceable companies' commitments to the Commission to change practices in order to avoid a potential infringement. The Commission also presented its latest annual report on Competition Policy.
	There was a discussion on the Commission's White Paper on Chemicals. The council stressed the need to maintain competitiveness in a global industry as well as protect public health and the environment, and the need for a cost effective, transparent and flexible regime. The council highlighted the need to use the dossier to reinforce the internal market; the importance of compliance with WTO rules; and the importance of producing a system that promoted innovation. The Presidency undertook to pass these messages to the Environment Council.
	The Commission presented its fourth report on the world shipbuilding market, which indicated that the past year had seen significant growth in new ship orders, mostly to the benefit of South Korean yards. There was continued evidence of Korean yards selling below an economically viable level. The Commission had announced (on 8 May) that failing a bilateral solution with Korea by 30 June, it intended to launch a WTO case and to propose a selective subsidy mechanism to defend EU yards. A defence mechanism should be seen as an exceptional step, and that it was important that it should be carefully targeted on those sectors where there was direct unfair competition from Korea. The council adopted conclusions strongly supporting the intention to launch a WTO case and noting the intention to propose a new subsidy mechanism.
	The council adopted conclusions welcoming the Commission's "Go-Digital" initiative, designed to increase awareness among SMEs of e-commerce and break down the barriers that exist to their take-up of e-business.
	There was a discussion on the proposals to allow European Coal and Steel Community funds to transfer to the Community when the Treaty expires in 2002. Member states had agreed at Nice to a protocol to provide a legal base allowing the ECSC assets to continue to be used for research to benefit those companies who had contributed to the assets. The protocol needed to be ratified as part of the Nice package before formal decisions could be taken, but the Presidency had taken work forward on some outstanding issues.
	Most outstanding issues were resolved at the council: apart from a Danish Parliamentary Scrutiny reserve, all member states were able to support the texts. The Commission also presented its latest report on the monitoring of the Article 95 Steel Aid Cases.
	Finally, the council adopted conclusions on the integration of sustainable development and enterprise policy. This recommends progress towards the integration of environment policy into enterprise policy, and that a positive environmental approach could reinforce competitiveness.

Embedded Generation

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to take forward the recommendations of the Ofgem/DTI working party on embedded generation published in January 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The report of the embedded generation working group set out a number of important recommendations which the Government are keen to see progressed as quickly as possible. I therefore intend to establish a co-ordination group to ensure that the detailed recommendations of the report, many of which are for Ofgem and the industry to pursue, are addressed in a timely and co-ordinated fashion which recognises the interdependent nature of the issues involved. It is hoped that the co-ordination group can begin its work in September and preparatory work is in hand to enable the group to move quickly once it is established.
	The DTI Energy Policy Directorate designated embedded generation website at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/ egwg/index.htm will continue to publish information on future developments as the group is established.

Cleaner Fuels

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research she is supporting into less polluting fuels.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government support a wide range of research into cleaner fuels.
	The Department of Trade and Industry spent £11.3 million last year and has a budget of £18 million for this financial year for its programme to support research and development of new and renewable energy. This includes work on stationary and transport applications of fuel cells including consideration of the fuelling issues.
	Following the results of the Green Fuel Challenge announced in Budget 2001, the Government will shortly invite bids for duty exemptions or reductions for pilot projects for fuels including hydrogen, bio-ethanol, methanol and biogas.
	The Government are fully engaged in international developments in this area, and actively involved in research sponsored by international organisations, such as the European Commission and the International Energy Agency.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Long-term Unemployment

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to help tackle long-term unemployment in Nottingham, North constituency.

Nick Brown: From July 2001 the Nottingham Employment Zone will be extended to cover Bulwell East and Bulwell West in my hon. Friend's constituency. From January 2002 the Nottingham Action Team for Jobs will also be extended so that these two wards will be brought within its scope.

Fraud

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of the London borough of Lambeth.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of the London borough of Lambeth and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.
	BFI inspectors found that the council's administration of these benefits is very poor, and that radical improvements are needed in all but a few areas.
	The benefits service has been outsourced to a contractor and, although inspectors consider the terms of the contract are acceptable, the council's management of it has been poor. As a result, the council has failed to eradicate its longstanding, and now, substantial, backlog of work. BFI considers this failure underlies many of the problems that the council now faces.
	BFI found that the council compounds its problems by failing to monitor quality, depriving itself of the management information that is needed for improvement.
	The report notes the Chief Executive's willingness to accept and implement our recommendations for change demonstrates a commitment to improvement. More recently Lambeth has requested assistance to address its problems from the DWP funded expect help team. The expert help teams will be working with Lambeth to ensure that they have robust plans for achieving a significantly improved benefits service.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Fraud

Paul Goggins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Manchester City Council.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of Manchester City council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter-fraud activities.
	Inspectors found that Manchester City council provided a very poor service to claimants, particularly in the time taken to process new claims and changes of circumstances. Considerable backlogs of work had developed, although the report notes the council took steps to deal with the backlog and the situation improved.
	The report notes some weaknesses in the verification of new claims and in renewal cases the council focused on ensuring that payment was made rather than making sure that the determination was correct.
	Inspectors found weaknesses in the council's counter fraud strategy and concluded that the counter fraud team was under resourced. There were also weaknesses in the identification and classification of overpayments, and the recovery of overpayments was very poor.
	Inspectors consider a good number of the problems would have been avoided if the council had planned and managed better the major changes it made in 1999-2000 and earlier.
	However, the reports notes the council has said that it has made management and operational changes to address the weaknesses identified by the inspection, especially in work prioritisation, structure, communications and recruitment.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Fraud

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Lincoln City council.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate report was published today in respect of Lincoln City council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.
	Inspectors found that Lincoln City Council was providing a satisfactory gateway to the benefit systems by ensuring that appropriate verification action was taken before determining claims.
	However, there were several areas where the council was not providing a satisfactory or secure service. BFI considers many weaknesses were the result of a long standing backlog of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit work and a lack of good quality management information. Weaknesses included renewal claims not being dealt with promptly, benefit periods being incorrectly set and referrals to the Rent Officer being delayed.
	The report notes the council has a prosecution policy but fails to adhere to it. Management and control of counter fraud work was weak, and inspectors found that the council was over-claiming weekly benefit savings.
	Apart from the lack of a strategy to clear the backlog of work, the BFI found the council had no clear strategies covering overpayment recovery or its visiting programme.
	The report concludes that the council must tackle the backlog of work by producing a clear strategy based on sound management information.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much was spent on countering fraud in Family Credit, and what the estimated savings were in the last three years;
	(2)  what his Department spent countering fraud in (a) Income Support and (b) Jobseeker's Allowance, in nominal terms and expressed as a percentage of the relevant benefit expenditure, in the last three years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department set out its strategy for tackling fraud and error in the paper--A new contract for welfare: Safeguarding Social Security (CM 4276)--published on 23 March 1999. The overall aim of the strategy is to have a benefit system which is secure from first claim to final payment.
	The implementation of this strategy means that an anti-fraud focus is integral to the work of the Department, as is dealing with the wider agenda of error and incorrectness in benefit payments. It is therefore not possible to account for the cost of anti-fraud work separately.
	Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit in October 1999. This Tax Credit is administered by the Inland Revenue.

Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if the checks made on continuing claims for benefit with respect to National Insurance are done through access to Inland Revenue records.

Nick Brown: The checks referred to in my noble Friend the then Minister for State's written answer on 11 May 2001, Official Report, columns 387-88W are conducted by Benefits Agency staff on continuing claims to Income Support (IS) or Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Requests for verification are made either to the claimant for documentary evidence in the form of wage slips or pay statements or to the employer or pension provider directly with the claimant's consent. This provides written confirmation of gross pay, details of deductions for tax and National Insurance (NI) and net pay. Where there appears to be a discrepancy in the amount of deductions taken, further inquiries are made to the customer or employer/pension provider.
	There are no formal arrangements for the Department to access or check Inland Revenue records.

Winter Fuel Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out his strategy for identifying those who have failed to claim their entitlement for Winter Fuel Payments in the winters of (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000; and if he will set out the reasons for which a deadline was applied to claims for winter 2000-01.

Ian McCartney: An information campaign, beginning in April 2000, aimed to ensure that existing and potential customers were aware of the changes to the scheme and what, if any, action was required. It has included: advertisements in national and local press; a leaflet and poster, made available in a variety of venues, including local social security offices, post offices, supermarkets and doctors' surgeries; a dedicated Winter Fuel Payment Helpline; and information on the internet. A mailshot was also undertaken, beginning in early May 2000, to people we could identify as being newly eligible, with an invitation to make a claim.
	The deadline imposed for winter 2000 payments allowed a period for claiming of almost a year from when the information campaign began, it is not unreasonable to assume that those who want to claim have claimed.
	Legislation covering Winter Fuel Payments states that for winter 2000-01 claims had to be made before 31 March 2001. This does not apply to the retrospective years 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-2000.

Winter Fuel Payments

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the value of unclaimed Winter Fuel Payments for the winter of 2000-01 and the number of entitled recipients who failed to claim their entitlement by the 31 March deadline.

Ian McCartney: We received and paid around 1.3 million Winter Fuel Payment claims for last winter. We estimated that up to 1.5 million people could have been eligible who would need to claim. Because this figure is an estimate, it is not possible to provide a reliable figure of either the value of unclaimed payments, or of those who did not claim.
	Overall, including those made automatically, over 11 million payments were made last winter.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out the basis for his oral statement of 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 372, about the number of pensioners who will benefit from the proposed pension credit; and if that total includes pensioners with no private pension income who receive the minimum income guarantee.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to "The Pension Credit: A consultation paper" (Nov 2000, Cm 4900).

Pensions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much it is expected to cost to establish the Pension Service.

Ian McCartney: The Government's current spending plans (Spending Review 2000: New Public Spending Plans 2001-04 Cm4807) provide funds for extensive improvements to the services this Department offers to its customers. Establishing the new Pension Service will form a key part of this modernisation programme.

Pensions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have bought a stakeholder pension in each month since they first became available; and what proportion of these were bought on behalf of someone else.

Ian McCartney: The information requested is not yet available.

Pensions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service will have their own dedicated websites.

Ian McCartney: Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service will have their own dedicated websites.
	Information about both organisations is already available through either the Department's or the Employment Service's websites.

Pensions

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who claim minimum income guarantee as a result of the take-up campaign.

Ian McCartney: The take-up campaign has so far resulted in 110,286 successful claims to the minimum income guarantee. The average additional income is £20 per week.

Pensions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how people in long-term residential care who are (a) state-funded and (b) self-funded will benefit from the introduction of the pension credit.

Ian McCartney: The pension credit forms a key part of the Government's overall strategy for tackling pensioner poverty.
	We are in the process of completing the design of the credit and will publish details of our proposals when the Bill is introduced.

Severe Disablement Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many claims were made for Severe Disablement Allowance in each of the 12 months up to and including March 2001;
	(2)  how many (a) claims and (b) awards have been made for Severe Disablement Allowance in each of the 12 months up to and including March 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: The available information is set out in the table.
	
		
			  New claims to Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) Severe Disablement Allowance awards 
		
		
			 April 2000 3,459 1,100 
			 May 2000 3,884 800 
			 June 2000 3,966 1,300 
			 July 2000 3,830 1,200 
			 August 2000 4,172 900 
			 September 2000 4,226 1,000 
			 October 2000 4,418 1,000 
			 November 2000 4,537 800 
			 December 2000 3,122 1,000 
			 January 2001 4,022 900 
			 February 2001 3,962 700 
			 March 2001 4,788 n/a 
		
	
	n/a = Not available
	Note:
	Information on the number of awards commencing in March 2001 is not yet available as these figures are derived from quarterly data, not due to be released until September 2001.
	Source:
	New claims figures are from 100 per cent. counts supplied by the Central Data Unit and are subject to change.
	Figures for SDA awards are taken from 5 per cent. samples of the PSCS(INCAP) benefit computer system, and exclude a small number of cases held clerically. These figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Housing Benefit

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimates he has made of the administrative costs of Housing Benefit for each London borough for each of the past three years.

Malcolm Wicks: The annual expenditure on Housing Benefit administration reported by London local authorities for the last three years for which figures are available are given in the table.
	
		£000 
		
			 Local authority 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 496 654 935 
			 Barnet 1,869 2,086 1,665 
			 Bexley 506 457 494 
			 Brent 3,670 3,820 3,528 
			 Bromley 1,778 1,680 1,561 
			 Camden 3,291 3,169 3,274 
			 City of London 232 263 204 
			 Croydon 1,998 2,050 2,223 
			 Ealing 3,745 4,177 3,807 
			 Enfield 2,571 2,382 2,433 
			 Greenwich 4,739 3,881 4,256 
			 Hackney 5,600 4,529 5,069 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,935 2,832 2,821 
			 Haringey 5,428 5,634 7,243 
			 Harrow 985 1,191 1,122 
			 Havering 915 1,021 1,059 
			 Hillingdon 1,538 1,143 1,151 
			 Hounslow 1,104 1,235 1,455 
			 Islington 3,814 1,586 2,839 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,690 3,090 2,750 
			 Kingston upon Thames 485 484 548 
			 Lambeth 5,052 3,679 3,938 
			 Lewisham 6,167 7,227 6,138 
			 Merton 664 684 946 
			 Newham 7,363 7,691 5,581 
			 Redbridge 1,932 2,538 2,031 
			 Richmond upon Thames 976 853 845 
			 Southwark 3,915 5,447 6,638 
			 Sutton 1,209 1,190 1,280 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,275 2,658 2,752 
			 Waltham Forest 1,639 1,897 3,323 
			 Wandsworth 2,096 2,101 2,447 
			 Westminster 4,886 4,986 4,618 
		
	
	Source:
	Reported expenditure to the DTLR on form R04.

Jobcentre Plus

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much it is expected to cost to establish Jobcentre Plus; and how much revenue is expected to be raised by selling off premises that are vacated as a result of the merger between the Employment Service and the Benefits Agency.

Nick Brown: Our plans for introducing Jobcentre Plus are still developing. For this reason the information requested is not yet available.

Benefits Expenditure

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's most recent estimates are for expenditure on (a) Disability Living Allowance, (b) Attendance Allowance, (c) Severe Disablement Allowance, (d) the short-term component of Incapacity Benefit, (e) the long-term component of Incapacity Benefit and (f) the earnings-related component of Incapacity Benefit for (i) 2000-01, (ii) 2001-02 and (iii) 2002-03.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		Government expenditure plans 2000-01 to 2002-03
		
			£ million  
			  2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 
		
		
			 Disability Living Allowance 6,044 6,511 6,877 
			 Attendance Allowance 2,946 3,094 3,174 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 1,014 1,020 959 
			 Incapacity Benefit--short term 563 546 570 
			 Incapacity Benefit--long term 5,329 5,430 5,532 
			 Incapacity Benefit--AP 644 552 474 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are consistent with Departmental Report 2001

Benefits Expenditure

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's original forecasts were for expenditure on (a) Disability Living Allowance, (b) Attendance Allowance, (c) Severe Disablement Allowance, (d) the short-term component of Incapacity Benefit, (e) the long-term component of Incapacity Benefit and (f) the earnings-related component of Incapacity Benefit for (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01, (iii) 2001-02 and (iv) 2002-03.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		Government expenditure plans 1999-2000 to 2001-02
		
			£ million  
			  1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 
		
		
			 Disability Living Allowance 5,630 5,823 6,282 
			 Attendance Allowance 2,841 2,916 3,078 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 1,011 1,017 1,029 
			 
			 Incapacity Benefit
			 Short-term 560 557 510 
			 Long-term 5,564 5,579 5,836 
			 AP 751 641 563 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are consistent with Departmental Report 2000.
	2. No projected expenditure for 2002-03 was made in Departmental Report 2000.

Benefits Expenditure

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's actual expenditure was on (a) Disability Living Allowance, (b) Attendance Allowance, (c) Severe Disablement Allowance, (d) the short-term component of Incapacity Benefit, (e) the long- term component of Incapacity Benefit and (f) the earnings-related component of Incapacity Benefit for (i) 1999-2001 and (ii) 2000-01.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		Government expenditure 1999-2000 to 2000-01
		
			  1999-2000 2000-01 
		
		
			 Disability Living Allowance 5,660 6,044 
			 Attendance Allowance 2,823 2,946 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance 1,006 1,014 
			
			 Incapacity Benefit   
			 Short-term 547 563 
			 Long-term 5,492 5,329 
			 AP 753 644 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are consistent with Departmental Report 2001.
	2. Figures for 1999-2000 are outturn.
	3. Figures for 2000-01 are estimated outturn.

Departmental Expenditure

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will produce an updated set of tables in the same terms as those at the back of the last DSS departmental report (Cm 4614) to outline the future expenditure plans of his new Department.

Alistair Darling: The creation of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) brings together former Department of Social Security spending plans, less that relating to War Pensions, with those for the employment functions of the former Department for Employment and Education (DfEE) (including the whole of the Employment Service). Work is continuing to quantify precise funding, particularly in relation to administration, and full details will be published in the next Departmental Report. However, previously published information relating to benefit expenditure (to be found in the Department of Social Security Departmental Report, Cm 5115, and in additional information placed in the Library, and on 1 May 2001, Official Report, column 594W remains correct except for war pensions, which are transferred to the Ministry of Defence.
	DWP will assume responsibility from DfEE for some £2.3 billion funding, including around £0.8 billion from the Employment Opportunities Fund. Further details are on page 148 of the DfEE Departmental Report (Cm 5102). In addition there will be transfers from DfEE in respect of headquarters staff.
	DWP will also be transferring some £24 million to the Ministry of Defence in relation to the administration of war pensions, including the cost of the War Pensions Agency.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) the deadline dates for submission of UK periodic report obligations under the United Nations system and (b) the expected dates and location of sessions of supervisory and reporting bodies are for each of the next five years.

Peter Hain: As part of its commitment to promote human rights, the UK takes seriously its obligations to submit regular and comprehensive reports to the six UN Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Bodies. Wherever possible, the UK submits reports which cover the Metropolitan Territories, as well as the Crown Dependent Territories and the Overseas Territories.
	The UK's Fifth Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) was submitted to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in August 1999. The UK's Sixth Report is due in August 2004.
	The UK's Fourth Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights (ICESCR) was submitted to the OHCHR in December 2000. The UK's Fifth Report is due in 2005--a specific deadline has not yet been set by the OHCHR.
	The UK's Third Periodic Report under the Convention Against Torture (CAT) was submitted in April 1998. Government Departments are currently compiling the UK's Fourth Report which is due in January 2002.
	The UK's Fifteenth Periodic Report under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) was submitted in August 1999. A separate report covering the Overseas Territories was submitted in February 2000. The UK's Sixteenth Report (which will be an update on the Fifteenth Report) is currently being compiled and is due to be submitted in August 2001.
	The UK's Second Periodic Report under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was submitted in August 1999. The UK's Third Periodic Report is due in September 2004.
	The UK's Fourth Periodic Report under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) was submitted in January 1999. The UK's Fifth Report is due to be submitted in May 2003.
	The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has so far only published a calendar covering Human Rights Committee meetings in 2001. By the end of the year:
	The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will have met three times in Geneva (8-26 January; 21 May-8 June; 24 September-12 October).
	The Human Rights Committee (HRC) will have met three times, once in New York and twice in Geneva (19 March-6 April, New York; 9-27 July, Geneva; 15 October-2 November, Geneva).
	The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) will have met three times in Geneva (23 April-11 May; 13-31 August; 12-30 November).
	The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) will have met twice in New York (15 January-2 April; 2-20 July).
	The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination (CERD) will have met twice in Geneva (5-23 March; 30 July-17 August).
	The Committee Against Torture (CAT) will have met twice in Geneva (30 April-18 May; 12-23 November).
	Full details of 2002 meetings will be published on the OHCHR website www.unhchr.ch later in the year.

Special Advisers

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will list his special advisers and their division of responsibilities;
	(2)  if he will list the special advisers in his Department together with their date of appointment and their responsibilities; which of them are authorised to speak to the media; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The FCO Special Advisers are Ed Owen and Michael Williams. They were appointed on 19 June 2001 and are authorised to speak to the media.
	Their areas of policy responsibility are:
	Ed Owen
	European Union
	Central and Eastern Europe
	Russia
	Cyprus and Turkey
	Gibraltar and Overseas Territories
	Global Environment
	Dr. Michael C. Williams
	International Security Policy--including NATO and peacekeeping
	United Nations
	The Balkans
	Africa
	Middle East
	North, South and Central America
	South and East Asia
	Australiasia
	Human Rights
	The Commonwealth
	Arms Control and Disarmament.

Arms Embargoes

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the expiry of the UN and EU arms embargoes against Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Peter Hain: The arms embargo and ban on related technical assistance and training imposed by the United Nations Security Council resolution 1298 (2000) against Ethiopia and Eritrea expired on 16 May 2001. The EU arms embargo imposed against Ethiopia and Eritrea by Common Position 99/206/CFSP expired on 31 May 2001. HMG were content to support the expiry of both the UN and EU embargoes in recognition of the progress made by both parties in the implementation of the Algiers Peace Agreements, including the establishment of the Temporary Security Zone.
	From 1 June 2001, the Government will consider all applications for a licence to export goods and technology on the Military List on a case by case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria which I announced on 26 October 2000, Official Report, columns 199-203W. It remains our policy only to sell arms which will not be used for external aggression or internal oppression.

Export Controls (Afghanistan)

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which goods subject to strategic export controls have recently been approved for export to Afghanistan.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department of Trade and Industry recently issued an export licence for mine-clearance equipment for use by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UNOCHA) to assist their demining activities in Afghanistan. The goods are rated as Military Listed. UNSCR 1333 (2000) which imposes inter alia an arms embargo on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan provides scope for the UN Sanctions Committee to approve of non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use to Taliban-controlled territory. The Sanctions Committee has given its approval in this case.
	The granting of this export licence is fully consistent with the UN Security Council resolutions and does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU common position on arms exports to Afghanistan.

Chagos Islands

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the environmental impact assessment study of the Chagos Islands to be completed and published.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the then Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz), on 23 April 2001, Official Report, column 124W. Phase 2 studies, which will include general but not specific environmental impact assessments, are expected to be completed within a year.

Antarctic Environmental Protocol

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions are being taken by his Department to establish a permanent secretariat for the Antarctic Environmental Protocol signatories.

Ben Bradshaw: We are in discussions with a number of Antarctic Treaty Parties on the question of a Secretariat. This is a matter which may arise at the forthcoming Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (9-20 July 2001, St. Petersburg, Russia), though the agenda for that meeting has not yet been confirmed.

General Pinochet

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of the legal proceedings against General Pinochet in Chile is being undertaken by his Department.

Denis MacShane: Our Embassy in Santiago is keeping the Department informed of developments in the legal proceedings against General Pinochet.

Diego Garcia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has held with the US Government concerning the right of return of the Ilois people to Diego Garcia.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the then Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz), gave to him on 26 April 2001, Official Report, columns 337-38W.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry regarding the responsibilities of the Minister for Trade.

Jack Straw: Under exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, information about internal discussions is not disclosed.

Future of Europe

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to launch the UK consultation process for the Future of Europe debate.

Peter Hain: There is already a lively UK debate on the future of Europe. The Government welcome this. As the Prime Minister said in Warsaw in October 2000, the challenge now is to reform the EU so that it delivers real benefits to the people of Europe, addressing the priorities they want addressed; and does so in a way which has their consent and support.
	A number of Government initiatives have already been taken to sustain and develop this debate:
	The Prime Minister's Warsaw speech laid out the overall approach of the UK Government, inviting others to contribute to the debate. Ministers have regularly addressed EU issues in media appearances and contacts with the public.
	The EU section of the Foreign Office website has made available a substantial amount of material on the EU and the UK's place in it, and hosts regular online debates on topical EU issues.
	The Government have held a series of parliamentary debates on the EU. There will be further such opportunities as Parliament considers the Bill to ratify the Nice Treaty.
	The Government have organised or sponsored a number of public events to solicit the views of academics, civil society and the general public.
	The Government's efforts to provide information and seek the public's views will continue in the coming months.

"Your Britain, Your Europe"

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to continue the "Your Britain, Your Europe" campaign; and what budget has been set for this initiative.

Peter Hain: The FCO will continue to meet its public service commitment to inform the UK public about the EU. The costs of this will be met from within the FCO's central budget.

Middle East

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he discussed the proposals for peace in the middle east put forward by the director of the CIA during his recent visit to Gothenburg.

Ben Bradshaw: Ongoing efforts to build on the fragile ceasefire in the middle east featured prominently in discussion at both the EU-US summit on 14 June and the European Council on 15-16 June in Gothenburg. The UK welcomes the agreement by the parties to CIA Director Tenet's proposals for consolidating the ceasefire, and making progress on security issues. It is now essential that the ceasefire and further security measures be followed swiftly by work on confidence-building measures and the renewal of a political process, which together form the complete package of the recommendations of the Mitchell Committee.

Ballistic Missile Defence

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the EU and the US on the issue of ballistic missile defence; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State discussed issues related to ballistic missile defence with his US and other NATO counterparts at the special meeting of the North Atlantic Council on June 13. Alliance leaders welcomed the extensive programme of consultations undertaken by the US on how best to counter the emerging threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their missile delivery systems.

Rebuttal Unit

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the status of his Department's rebuttal unit on EU issues.

Peter Hain: Government Ministers will continue to write letters aimed at correcting press articles on Europe which are misleading and/or factually inaccurate, just as they would do on any other issue.

Macedonia

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had during his recent visit to Gothenburg regarding the situation in Macedonia.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has wide-ranging discussions on Macedonia with colleagues both during the European Council and the preceding EU/US summit in Gothenburg. The European Council decided to appoint a high level EU representative to be resident in Macedonia under the authority of EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana. The Conclusions of the Gothenburg Council, including the Declaration on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Annexe II), were placed in the Library of the House on Monday 18 June.

Nice Treaty

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the conclusions of the Gothenburg Summit as they relate to the Irish referendum on the Nice treaty and (b) how the process of enlargement will be pursued.

Peter Hain: The 11 June General Affairs Council expressed regret at the result of the Irish referendum on the Treaty of Nice, while respecting the will of the Irish people. The GAC noted that the Irish Government are deeply and firmly committed to the EU and to the ratification of the Treaty of Nice. The Fourteen expressed their readiness to contribute in every possible way to help the Irish Government find a way forward, taking into account the concerns reflected by this result, without reopening the text of the Nice treaty.
	The Gothenburg European Council confirmed these conclusions, and reaffirmed that the ratification process for the Treaty of Nice will continue so that the Union is in a position to welcome new member states from the end of 2002.
	Heads of State and Government also agreed that, provided progress towards meeting the accession criteria continues at an unabated pace, the enlargement road map should make it possible to complete negotiations by the end of 2002 for those candidate countries that are ready. The objective is that they should participate in the 2004 European Parliament elections as members.

Ministerial Meetings (Europe)

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had since his appointment with (a) the President of the European Commission and (b) representatives of the forthcoming Belgian EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: At the General Affairs Council of 11-12 June and the Gothenburg European Council of 15-16 June, the Secretary of State had useful discussions with the President of the Commission and with the Belgian Foreign Minister. The Secretary of State also held a bilateral meeting with the Belgian Foreign Minister in London on 26 June: they discussed a range of issues likely to feature during the forthcoming Belgian Presidency of the European Union. I have also held bilateral talks with my Belgian counterpart to discuss Presidency issues.

Qualified Majority Voting

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it remains the Government's policy that qualified majority voting should not be extended to border controls, defence, taxation, social security, own resources matters and treaty amendments.

Peter Hain: As our manifesto made clear, we shall keep the veto on vital matters of national sovereignty.

HEALTH

Tuberculosis

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the need to empower hospitals to restrict the movement of infectious in-patients suffering from TB; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Department of Health has published recommendations on the requirement for managing patients--including isolation--with tuberculosis and drug resistant tuberculosis in two documents. One was published in June 1996 entitled "Recommendations for the prevention and control of tuberculosis at local level" and, again, in September 1998 recommendations were made in the document entitled "UK guidance on the prevention and control of transmission of HIV-related tuberculosis and Drug-resistant, including Multiple Drug-resistant tuberculosis". Both of these publications are available in the Library.

NHS Appointments Commission

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he will give to the NHS Appointments Commission to ensure that suitable nominations are received from the voluntary sector.

Jacqui Smith: Experience in the voluntary sector is valued on National Health Service boards and we remain keen to encourage people with such expertise to apply.
	I understand that the NHS Appointments Commission will be routinely writing to appropriate councils for voluntary service with copies of its recruitment advertisements and asking them to draw these to the attention of their member organisations.

NHS (Surrey)

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current financial deficit of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 25 June 2001
	Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust reported a provisional income and expenditure deficit of £1.5 million at the end of March 2001 (this figure is subject to confirmation in the trust's final accounts). In order to secure financial balance the trust has to address this deficit and meet a savings target. This means that the trust is reporting a provisional income and expenditure deficit at the beginning of this financial year of £4.0 million.
	The South East Regional Office, East Surrey health authority and local primary care groups are working with the trust to agree a plan which will deliver long-term financial stability and ensure access targets are met.

Pithing Ban

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the pithing ban.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 25 June 2001
	I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the ban on pithing came into force on 1 April 2001 in Great Britain and on 11 June 2001 in Northern Ireland, where pithing has not been practiced for some years.
	The ban is enforced in Great Britain by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS). The FSA has asked the MHS to monitor compliance with the ban and to report any potential closure of abattoirs arising from it. The MHS reports that, as at 11 June 2001, only 13 abattoirs were still pithing. Of these, 10 are expected to cease pithing by 1 July. Officials of the MHS and the Meat and Livestock Commission have met operators who believe they are unable to comply with the ban and have provided advice on how premises and working practices may be adapted to enable them to do so. The MHS has not received any reports of increased incidence of worker injury since the ban came into effect.

Cervical Cancer Screening

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of total funds available to the cancer screening programme are available to the cervical cancer screening programme; and what that proportion is in cash terms.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 26 June 2001
	In 1998, the National Audit Office (NAO) estimated that the National Health Service cervical screening programme in England costs around £132 million per year, around £34 per woman screened 1 .
	It is estimated by the Department of Health that the NHS breast cancer screening programme costs £52 million per year.
	There are currently no other national NHS programmes for cancer screening. The NHS plan stated that we will introduce new screening programmes for other cancers, as evidence about their effectiveness and benefit is confirmed.
	 1 Source
	NAO "The performance of the NHS cervical screening programme in England"; report by the Comptroller and Auditor General; HC678 session 1997-98; 22 April 1998.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the ninth annual report of the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit.

Alan Milburn: The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit's ninth annual report will be published tomorrow. The report documents the Unit's findings in relation to sporadic, familial and iatrogenic Creutzfeldt- Jakob Disease (CJD), and also variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), up to 31 December 2000. Copies will be placed in the Library, and made available on the Unit's website at www.cjd.ed.ac.uk.

General Social Care Council

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the General Social Care Council will publish the time-scales for registering each category of social care worker;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 24W, on the General Social Care Council, if he will list each category of social care worker it is planned to register and how many (a) there are in total in each category and (b) are qualified;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 24W, on the General Social Care Council, if he will set out his reasons for not requiring the General Social Care Council to develop an interim register that covers all unqualified social care workers.

Jacqui Smith: The General Social Care Council will begin its work in October 2001. It is our intention to ask the Council to register qualified social workers first, beginning in 2002-03, followed by residential childcare workers and managers of care homes.
	The council will specify any levels of training expected of registrants other than social workers. It will need to consider the priorities for registration and the likely overall timetable.
	Registration of the work force is only one strand in our plans to raise standards in social care and improving public protection. The GSCC will be publishing codes of practice for social care workers and their employers. Compliance with the code is required of all staff and employers whether registered with the council or not. Compliance with the codes will be a first step towards achieving registration.
	There are an estimated one million people working in social care and 80 per cent. of them are thought not to have any qualifications. 60 per cent. of the work force are in the independent sector working for around 25,000 employers, many of whom are very small. We do not hold information about the numbers in any particular group.

Food Labelling

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in improving food labelling.

Yvette Cooper: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has adopted a wide-ranging action plan to tackle the issues consumers have identified as priorities for improving food labelling. The FSA is pressing for changes to European law and international standards and has established a number of working groups to explore the potential for voluntary improvements.

Food Labelling

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the regulations covering the clarity of food labelling.

Yvette Cooper: We are committed to giving consumers more choice by improving food labelling. The Food Labelling Regulations 1996 require key labelling information to be easily visible, easy to understand, legible and indelible.
	The Food Standards Agency has established a working group to advise on ways of making labels clearer and easier to use. The working group is currently analysing information about consumer needs and discussing options for improvements with a view to drawing up advice on best practice.

NHS Staff

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the countries of origin of staff first employed by the NHS in the past year.

John Hutton: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on the countries of origin of staff registered to work as healthcare professionals is held by the relevant regulatory body. A list of regulatory bodies is in the table.
	
		Regulatory Bodies contact details
		
			 Regulatory Body Address Contact Contact 
		
		
			 UKCC--United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing 23 Portland Place, London W1N 4JT CE/Registrar: Sue Norman President: Alison Norman 
			 
			 GMC--General Medical Council 178 Great Portland Street, London W1N 6JE President: Sir Donald Irvine Registrar: Finlay Scott 
			 
			 RPSGB--Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain 1 Lambeth High Street, London SE1 7JN Secretary/Registrar: Anne Lewis President: Mr. P. L. Marshall Davies 
			 
			 CPSM--Council for the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Park House, 184 Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4BU Chair Professor: Brian Edwards Registrar: Mike Hall 
			 
			 GDC--General Dental Council 37 Wimpole Street, London W1M 8DQ President: Professor Nairn Wilson CE/Registrar: Antony Townsend 
			 
			 GOC--General Optical Council 41 Harley Street, London W1G 8DJ Chair: Rosie Varley Registrar (from 2 January 2000): Peter Coe 
			 
			 ROstC--Royal Osteopathic Council Osteopathy House, 176 Tower Bridge, London SE1 3LU Chair: Nigel Clarke CE/Registrar: Madeleine Craggs 
			 
			 GChC--General Chiropractic Council 3rd Floor North, 344-354 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8BP Chair: Norma Morris Registrar: Margaret Coats

Organ Register

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will break down by region for each of the last 12 months the additions to the organ register.

Jacqui Smith: The information is shown in the table.
	
		New applications to the Organ Donor Register where signature date between 1 June 2000-31 May 2001, by NHS region
		
			  Thousand  
			 Month of registration  Northern and Yorkshire Trent Eastern London South East 
		
		
			 2000  
			 June 13.3 11.1 12.4 14.7 20.4 
			 July 18.4 9.9 10.6 12.9 17.3 
			 August 21.1 5.9 7.9 10.3 19.2 
			 September 32.0 21.8 23.2 24.8 50.7 
			 October 17.9 15.5 17.5 19.4 29.4 
			 November 12.1 10.3 11.3 13.5 17.8 
			 December 9.1 8.5 9.0 10.2 13.5 
			   
			 2001  
			 January 13.2 12.1 13.9 15.0 20.7 
			 February 12.4 10.4 13.5 13.0 18.0 
			 March 14.3 12.1 15.6 15.7 22.3 
			 April 10.4 9.0 11.2 11.4 16.5 
			 May 10.0 8.8 10.2 11.3 15.9 
			  
			 Total number 184.2 135.4 156.3 172.2 261.7 
			   
			 Percentage of new applications 11.8 8.6 10.0 11.0 16.7 
			 Percentage of ODR total 10.0 8.8 9.4 10.9 14.8 
			 Percentage population 10.8 8.7 9.0 12.0 14.5 
		
	
	
		
			 Month of registration South West West Midlands North West Wales Scotland Northern Ireland 
		
		
			 2000   
			 June 13.5 9.8 13.1 4.9 12.6 0.2 
			 July 11.5 8.6 11.7 4.3 10.5 0.4 
			 August 16.3 5.3 7.8 2.5 7.2 0.2 
			 September 35.7 16.9 26.7 8.6 18.7 0.2 
			 October 21.0 14.1 17.3 6.7 16.5 1.0 
			 November 12.3 8.7 11.3 4.2 10.6 0.8 
			 December 8.8 6.5 8.3 3.1 8.3 0.5 
			
			 2001   
			 January 13.3 10.1 13.0 4.8 12.2 0.5 
			 February 12.4 9.0 11.6 4.1 10.6 0.4 
			 March 17.7 13.3 16.5 5.2 12.2 0.9 
			 April 11.1 9.2 11.2 3.5 10.2 0.4 
			 May 10.5 7.7 9.5 3.4 8.1 0.2 
			  
			 Total number 184.1 119.2 158.0 55.3 137.7 5.7 
			
			 Percentage of new applications 11.7 7.6 10.1 3.5 8.8 0.4 
			 Percentage of ODR total 10.1 7.4 11.0 5.4 9.6 1.7 
			 Percentage population 8.3 9.0 11.2 5.0 8.7 2.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. NHS region has been defined by postcode and figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Total number of registrations on Organ Donor Register at 25 June 2001 is 8.8 million.

Work-related Stress Disorders

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further action the Government are intending to take to tackle work-related stress disorders.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	The Health and Safety Commission has a comprehensive strategy and programme of work to prevent work-related stress and hence the disorders arising from it.
	In partnership with other agencies, both within Government and outside, it will develop clear, agreed standards of good management practice for preventing a range of work-related stressors; better equip health and safety inspectors to handle the issue in their routine work; facilitate a more comprehensive approach to managing work-related stress; run a publicity drive to help educate employers about what they can and should be doing to prevent work-related stress; and develop yardsticks against which employers' performance can be measured.
	As part of this strategy, new guidance from the Health and Safety Executive called "Tackling Work-related Stress--a Managers' Guide to Improving and Maintaining Employee Health and Well-being", was published on 25 June 2001. A copy of the guidance has been placed in the Library of the House.

TREASURY

Low-sulphur Fuel

Bill Tynan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the environmental impact of the recent cut in duty on low sulphur petrol and cut in ultra-low sulphur diesel.

Paul Boateng: Environmental impacts of the duty cuts for ultra-low sulphur petrol (ULSP) and ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) announced in Budget 2001 are summarised in Table 6.2 of the "Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report 2001". Further information about the promotion of low sulphur fuels through fiscal measures is to be found in the Customs and Excise paper, "Using the tax system to encourage cleaner fuels: the experience of ultra-low sulphur diesel", published in November 2000.

SCOTLAND

Constituency Boundaries

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Boundary Commission for Scotland has decided when to start a general review of constituencies in Scotland.

Helen Liddell: The Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 requires the Boundary Commission for Scotland to submit its next general report between December 2002 and December 2006 and within these limits the Commission has discretion when to start a general review. The Commission, in the exercise of its discretion, will give notice in the Edinburgh Gazette tomorrow, 29 June 2001, of its intention to commence forthwith a general review of constituencies in Scotland.

Regulation of Care (Scotland Bill)

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans she has to use her powers of intervention under the Scotland Act 1998 in relation to the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill.

Helen Liddell: The Scottish Parliament made a number of amendments to other enactments at Stage 2 of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill, including an amendment to the Finance Act 2000. That amendment relates to a reserved matter, and is outwith the Parliament's legislative competence. I will rectify this by means of an Order to be made shortly under Section 107 of the Scotland Act. The use of this approach has the full agreement of the First Minister of Scotland.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Foot and Mouth

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on foot and mouth.

Margaret Beckett: The outbreak continues in a small number of areas in the country and the average number of confirmed outbreaks is now between four to five cases per day. It is vitally important that we continue to bear down on the disease and that all concerned maintain the highest standards of biosecurity on and around farms.

Foot and Mouth

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about the impact of recent foot and mouth outbreaks on the rural economy of the North Yorkshire moors with special reference to the measures proposed to regenerate small local businesses in the North Yorkshire national park.

Margaret Beckett: As I saw on my visit to North Yorkshire earlier this week, foot and mouth disease has had a major impact on the wider rural economy, and particularly on important tourist areas such as the North Yorkshire Moors. We are helping small rural businesses in these areas through deferral of tax and VAT, hardship rate relief and through the regional development agency Business Recovery Fund.

Foot and Mouth

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is the total sum of money made available in compensation payments, to date, to farmers as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak.

Margaret Beckett: Up to 21 June, a total of £803 million has been paid out to farmers in Great Britain in compensation for slaughter of animals and destruction of other items, as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to establish a public inquiry into the Government's handling of foot and mouth disease.

Margaret Beckett: It is right that we consider carefully the issues connected with the foot and mouth outbreak. The question of whether there should be a public inquiry as such, is one for the Prime Minister.

Foot and Mouth

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many premises classified as infected with foot and mouth disease in each county of (a) England and (b) Scotland have proved not to be infected; and how many cattle and sheep were involved.

Elliot Morley: An infected premises is one where foot and mouth disease has either been diagnosed by a vet on the farm, supported by convincing clinical evidence, or where disease is found after testing. However, a negative laboratory result does not necessarily mean that the disease was not present and does not change the status of an infected premises confirmed on clinical diagnosis.

Foot and Mouth

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the foot and mouth crisis on the veterinary sector.

Elliot Morley: No formal assessment has been made, but it is evident that the situation is mixed. Some veterinary surgeons operating in large animal practices will have been unable to carry out much of their normal work because of foot and mouth disease restrictions. However, many of those affected will have carried out work related to the outbreak on behalf of this Department.

Foot and Mouth

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will commission an inquiry into the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak.

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will initiate a public inquiry into the cause and handling of the foot and mouth epidemic.

Margaret Beckett: It is right that we consider very carefully the issues connected with the foot and mouth outbreak. The question of whether there should be a public inquiry as such, is one for the Prime Minister.

Tenant Farmers

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of tenant farmers on the situation in agriculture; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Since her appointment, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not yet had the opportunity to have specific discussions with representatives of tenant farmers, but my noble Friend Lord Whitty met tenant farmers last week to discuss various issues.

Recycling

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals she has to include the recovery and recycling of wood in the packaging waste regulations.

Elliot Morley: From 1 January 2000 all packaging materials, including wood, were covered by the requirements of the Regulations. For wood there is a recovery obligation only. This can be met by recycling, composting or incineration with energy recovery.

Kyoto Protocol

John McFall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the US Administration on the Kyoto targets.

Margaret Beckett: We have discussed the issue of climate change with the US at all levels. The Prime Minister discussed climate change with President Bush and EU colleagues in Gothenburg. The Summit agreed to establish a high level group of representatives to consider how the EU and US can co-operate on climate change.

Kyoto Protocol

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the environmental consequences of the Kyoto protocol not being ratified by the United States Government.

Margaret Beckett: Kyoto without the US is clearly a second best option. But Kyoto remains the best framework for global action. It will of course be important to keep the door open to the US to come on board later.

Pollution

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she intends to introduce to reduce pollution in industrialised areas.

Elliot Morley: The Government are determined to tackle pollution from industry in a cost-effective and proportionate way. Emissions to air, water and land from major industrial sources are tightly controlled under the Integrated Pollution Control system and the new Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control system. Strong new rules are now in place to make sure that companies take proper responsibility for dealing with legacies of land contamination from the past.

Food Surplus (EU Expansion)

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact on food surplus production of the proposed expansion of the EU.

Margaret Beckett: The impact of EU enlargement on agricultural production and consumption will depend on a number of different factors including the terms of accession, which have yet to be negotiated. But, in very general terms, surplus production would be expected to rise. This would strengthen the case for further CAP reform.

Pig Industry

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the prospects for the pig industry.

Elliot Morley: Like all livestock sectors, the pig industry is going through a difficult time, mainly as a result of the foot and mouth outbreak. Once exports markets are open, and if the industry makes full use of the assistance provided by the Ongoers element of the Government's Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme, the medium term prospects will look more promising.

Farming Support

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the value for money obtained for support to the farming industry in each of the last five years.

Margaret Beckett: Funding in support of the Action Plan for Farming will be subject to evaluation in partnership with our rural, farming, food and retail industry stakeholders. The England Rural Development Programme will receive a mid-term evaluation in 2003. An annual programme of evaluations is carried out of different policy programmes; details and copies of reports are on DEFRA's website http://www.defra.gov.uk/
	However the vast majority of support to farmers over the last five years has been through CAP direct payments. Despite the achievements of the Agenda 2000 agreement, the Government do not believe that the CAP offers good value for money either to taxpayers, consumers or to the UK economy. We want to see further radical reform to secure a more economically rational CAP which is sustainable in relation to the countryside environment and rural economies.

Rural Economy

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role will be of the proposed independent commission on the rural economy.

Elliot Morley: The Labour Party manifesto gave a commitment to set up an Independent Commission to advise on how we create a sustainable, competitive and diverse farming and food sector within a thriving rural economy which enhances environmental, health and animal welfare goals. An announcement will be made on the role and terms of reference when decisions have been taken.

Rural Economy

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her responsibilities for the rural economy.

Elliot Morley: The Government's objective is to facilitate the development of dynamic, competitive and sustainable economies in the countryside, tackling poverty in rural areas and this is a key priority for my Department. We will be working closely with the Regional Development Agencies, the Countryside Agency, local authorities and other partners including the food and farming industries to achieve this.

Cod Recovery Programme

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on policy relating to the next year of the cod recovery programme.

Elliot Morley: In view of the advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas the United Kingdom is fully supportive of the need to develop recovery programmes for North Sea cod, West of Scotland cod, Irish Sea cod as well as for Northern hake. Most recently the European Commission (on behalf of the Member States) reached an agreement with Norway on the steps to be taken for the second stage of the North Sea cod recovery programme. A copy of the Agreed Record dated 21 June 2001 has been placed in the Library of the House.

Livestock Markets (Wales)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the National Assembly for Wales about the reopening of the livestock markets in Wales.

Margaret Beckett: I shall shortly be meeting Ministers from the devolved Administrations. My officials are in ongoing contact with the National Assembly's Agriculture and Rural Developments on a wide range of foot and mouth disease issues, including the impact of the disease on the livestock and related sectors.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to issue regulations to amend the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994 in the light of the provisions of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000; and when she intends to issue regulations for the appeals which may arise on sites of special scientific interest.

Michael Meacher: I have today issued two consultation papers, firstly about amendments to the Habitats Regulations and secondly proposing new appeals regulations, following commencement of Part III of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. In what is largely a technical amendment, the 1994 Habitats Regulations are to be brought in line with the provisions of the Act for protection of SSSIs. Ministers also promised the House that they would prepare regulations for the appeals that may arise on SSSIs (against refusal of consent, management notices and stop notices). These will set out a clear procedure for the conduct of appeals, so that they may be processed efficiently.
	The consultation period for both documents ends on 23 August 2001. Copies will be placed in the House Libraries.

Departmental Title Change Costs

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the expenditure incurred in introducing the title of her Department.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 26 June 2001
	Expenditure incurred to date in introducing the title of the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is as follows:
	
		
			 Title £(17) 
		
		
			 Conceptual design, graphics and photography 7,177 
			 Design/production/installation of signs and graphic panels 19,560 
			 Printing 21,804 
			 Miscellaneous 950 
		
	
	(17) All figures are exclusive of VAT

Abattoirs

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abattoirs closed in each of the last 20 years.

Elliot Morley: The numbers of licensed red meat abattoirs in England in 1980-2000 were:
	
		
			  Number of licensed red meat abattoirs in England 
		
		
			 1980 960 
			 1981 910 
			 1982 840 
			 1983 875 
			 1984 860 
			 1985 850 
			 1986 815 
			 1987 795 
			 1988 780 
			 1989 690 
			 1990 645 
			 1991 595 
			 1992 540 
			 1993 434 
			 1994 424 
			 1995 402 
			 1996 384 
			 1997 375 
			 1998 360 
			 1999 339 
			 2000 316

Correspondence

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter to her predecessor from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, dated 3 May about compensation in respect of pigs for Mr. I. Thompson, of Red Row, Morpeth.

Elliot Morley: I replied to the letter from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed on 26 June 2001.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on further plans to encourage countryside conservation and the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. [R]

Elliot Morley: My Department will have a crucial role in promoting conservation of the countryside. Under the England Rural Development Programme our spending on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme is projected to rise from around £51 million in the current financial year to £126 million in 2006-07.

Departmental Expenditure Limits

Andy King: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes are proposed to the departmental expenditure limit for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Intervention Board for 2001-02.

Elliot Morley: Despite the formation of the new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Supplementary Estimates must still be made in the name of the former Ministry until such time as its functions can be transferred by ways of Transfer of Functions Orders. Any changes to the MAFF DEL necessary as a result of the Machinery of Government changes announced following the general election on 7 June will be effected later in the year when any necessary Transfer of Functions Orders or other administrative actions are in force.
	Subject to parliamentary approval of the Supplementary Estimates the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Intervention Board's joint Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) will be increased by £547,638,000, from £1,185,144,000 to £1,732,782,000.
	MAFF's Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) increases by £168,972,000, from £1,059,515,000 to £1,228,487,000 of which resources will increase by £145,182,000 and capital by £23,790,000. There will be a movement from the non-voted element of the DEL of £3,000,000 to the Voted Capital DEL.
	For MAFF there is an increase in the administration costs limit of £35,386,000, from £369,799,000 to £405,185,000 and a claim on the DEL Reserve of £188,838,000. This latter comprises the take-up of £42,200,000 resources on administration costs, £69,100,000 resources on programme expenditure, and £7,500,000 capital expenditure for measures to eradicate foot and mouth disease; the take-up of £2,000,000 resources on programme expenditure, and £15,000,000 capital expenditure for flood defence works--being part of the £51 million Flood Defence package announced on 23 November 2000--and £6,600,000 resources on programme expenditure, being part of the £11,6 million package announced on 27 January 2001; the take up of £15,000,000 additional resources on programme expenditure for the payment of legal costs relating to an European Court of Justice judgment against the UK (Factortame); the take-up of £1,538,000 additional resources on administration costs from the Modernisation Fund in respect of successful projects; the take-up of £14,600,000 resources on programme expenditure in respect of the Agrimonetary Compensation scheme for Livestock Payments announced on 6 March 2001; and the take-up of £640,000 resources on administration costs, £13,810,000 resources on programme expenditure and £850,000 capital expenditure for testing of fallen stock, as an additional BSE control measure.
	In addition MAFF is transferring £7,308,000 of non-voted DUP (Departmental Unallocated Provision) to the Food Standards Agency for a small abattoirs scheme. This does not appear in the Estimate.
	For the Intervention Board there is an increase in the administration costs limit of £17,181,000, from £35,031,000 to £52,212,000 and a claim on the DEL Reserve of £366,230,000. This latter comprises £300,000,000 for the Livestock Welfare (Disposal) Scheme (£293,500,000 programme costs and £6,500,000 administration costs), related to foot and mouth disease; the take-up of £39,500,000 for Dairy Agrimonetary Compensation and £26,730,000 to fund BSE testing of fallen stock (£24,485,000 programme costs and £2,245,000 administration costs).
	The above increases will be offset by savings or charged to the DEL Reserve and will not therefore add to planned total of public expenditure.